ENMU rallies late for win over TSU

PORTALES — For the third game in a row, the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team opened a 6-1 lead against Tarleton State on Sunday.

And for the second time, the Greyhounds had to eke out a win over the Texans, this time winning 9-8 when center fielder Chris Padilla capped a three-run eighth with a two-run double.

The Hounds (27-11, 5-5 Lone Star Conference) thus won three of four against TSU (19-17, 2-9).

Padilla finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs, also driving in a run with a fourth-inning single.

ENMU chased Texans starter Matt Herrick early, and looked to be on cruise control after Jesus Villalobos’ RBI single made it 6-1 in the fourth.Tarleton, though, jumped right back in it with back-to-back homers from Austin Call and Dylan Lemons in the fifth, and took an 8-6 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth, one scoring on an error and the other on a wild pitch.

Singles by Alex DeLaCruz and Endy Villalona set the table for the Hounds in the bottom half against Eddie Avila (0-1). After a fielder’s choice left runners at the corners, third baseman Garlind Webster executed a squeeze bunt to score DeLaCruz and make it 8-7.

The Texans elected to walk Michael McNicholl intentionally, but Padilla foiled the strategy with his double down the left field line.

Dwight Velarde (3-1), ENMU’s fourth pitcher, walked pinch-hitter Garret Kizer to start the ninth, but catcher Gabe Trujillo threw Kizer out trying to steal. That turned out to be big when shortstop Jose Reyes doubled, but Velarde got Francisco Rodriguez on a pop-up and Call on a full-count swinging strikeout to end it.

The Hounds return to action in a four-game LSC series at Texas A&M-Kingsville with a 5 p.m. contest on Thursday.