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Hounds manage split in UTPB event

ODESSA, Texas — Junior third baseman Jose Campos capped a four-run, eighth-inning rally with a two-out, two-run single and Eastern New Mexico University’s baseball team held on for an 8-6 win over Colorado School of Mines on Friday, earning a first-day split in the season-opening Texas-Permian Basin tournament.

ENMU (1-1) lost to New Mexico Highlands 9-3 in its first game on Friday. The Greyhounds face Wayland Baptist at 10 a.m. (MST) and take on host UTPB at 1 p.m. today to finish their play in the event.

The Hounds loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the eighth against Mines, and left fielder Blake Thomsen hit a sacrifice fly to break a 4-4 tie. Another run scored on a passed ball before Campos’ hit, on a 1-2 pitch from Matt Brown (0-1), gave the Hounds some insurance.

Junior right-hander Jaspret Shergill (1-0) earned the win with two shutout innings in relief. Three relievers combined to allow six hits and two runs — neither earned — over the final 5 1/3 innings.

Right fielder Brandon Devries had a pair of run-scoring singles for the Hounds, including one to tie the game 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh. Shortstop Kevin Thompson went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, a double, a walk and two runs scored.

Earlier, shortstop Thomas King’s two-run single capped a four-run second that gave Highlands a 5-0 lead. Trent Evins (1-0) had a no-hitter for the Cowboys through six innings, but was lifted with an 8-0 lead after throwing 77 pitches.

ENMU broke through for three runs on two hits in the top of the seventh, but finished the game with only three hits.

Junior right-hander Andrew Martin took the loss, allowing eight hits and eight runs — three earned — over four innings.