Bulldogs sweep Hounds

WEATHERFORD, Okla. — Freshman right-hander Aldemar Betrian pitched a five-hitter to outduel Eastern New Mexico University senior Seth Clabaugh in Southwestern Oklahoma’s 4-0 win Friday in the opener of a Lone Star Conference baseball doubleheader.

The Bulldogs completed the sweep with a 14-11 win in the second game. The teams finish the four-game set with an 11 a.m. (MDT) twin bill today.

Betrian, a native of Aruba making just his third start in 11 appearances, pitched his second shutout of the season in the seven-inning opener. He walked none and struck out seven.

Meantime, Clabaugh was nearly as effective. The left-hander struggled to find the strike zone early and it cost him — Southwestern (25-13, 19-11 LSC) scored twice in the first inning with the help of three walks, one with the bases loaded, and a run-producing passed ball.

In the third, Kenny Hare reached on an error by third baseman Sean Cruce leading off, and center fielder Morgan Marr hit his seventh homer of the season with one out.

Clabaugh (1-2) finished with a two-hitter, walking four and striking out eight. After Marr’s homer, he retired the final 11 Bulldogs hitters.

Clayton Young and Chris Eaton hit leadoff doubles for ENMU (19-20, 14-16) in the third and fifth innings, respectively, but both runners died at third base.

In the second game, senior designated hitter Chris Morrison hit his first two home runs of the season and the Bulldogs came from behind four times to nail down the win.

The Greyhounds took a 3-0 lead in the first on a run-scoring single by Freddy Carmona and a two-run single by Eaton, and made it 5-0 in the second on an RBI single by Clabaugh and a run-producing fielder’s choice by Carmona.

Taylor Powell hit the first of his two triples to drive in two runs in the bottom of the inning after Marr and Travis Rose reached on errors. An error by Clabaugh at first base then allowed Powell to score.

Southwestern tied the game on Morrison’s two-run homer in the third, and took a 7-6 lead on a two-run double by Bow Buckner in the fourth.

Buckner then dropped Carmona’s fly ball, allowing two runs to score and putting ENMU in front 9-7 in the fifth. Morrison and Rose led off the bottom half with back-to-back homers off Hounds starter Russell Campbell to retie the game.

ENMU regained an 11-9 lead in the sixth on a two-out, two-run triple by Jeremy Johnson, who went 4-for-6 for the game with three runs and three RBIs. The Bulldogs answered with four in the bottom half, capped by another two-run triple by Powell off reliever Juan Sanchez (1-1) for a 13-11 lead.

Southwestern added an unearned run off Evan Orsak in the eighth when Ricky Kirby doubled and eventually scored on an error by shortstop Kevin Thompson.

Scott Branch (3-2) replaced starter Adam Phillips after two innings and notched the win despite giving up seven hits, seven walks and six runs — three earned — in 4 2/3 innings. Jason Stover fanned Thompson to escape a bases-loaded jam in the ENMU seventh, and went on to pitch 2 1/3 perfect innings with four strikeouts for his first save.