Walks, errors doom Hounds

PORTALES — Second baseman Zach Dominguez doubled home two runs to cap a four-run fourth inning, lifting New Mexico Highlands to an 8-4 victory over Eastern New Mexico University Tuesday in non-conference baseball game at Greyhound Field.

The outburst gave the Cowboys (24-18) a 6-2 lead and they stayed in control from there as six pitchers combined to limit the Greyhounds (17-22-1) to nine hits.

ENMU jumped in front 2-0 in the first on a single by Bryan Moore, a double by Tyler Hayes, Boyd Erickson’s run-scoring groundout and a sacrifice fly by Mark Wallace.

Highlands tied it in the third on two-out RBI singles by Cam Shick and Eric Garcia off ENMU starter Kelly Crain (4-2), who gave up six runs — four earned — and seven hits over five innings.

The Hounds closed to 6-3 in the sixth on Wallace’s run-scoring single, but Highlands picked up single runs in the seventh and eighth to secure its third win in four tries against the Hounds.

Wallace singled and scored on Joey Aguilar’s two-out triple to right-center in the ENMU eighth to complete the scoring.

Shick went 3-for-5 and Garcia was 2-for-4 for the Cowboys, who also had nine hits but benefited from five walks and five Eastern errors. Highlands’ Brad Barton (4-1) pitched the fourth inning to earn the win.

Wallace was 2-for-3 and Moore and Aguilar 2-for-4 for the Hounds.

NM Highlands 8, ENMU 4

NM Highlands 002 400 110 — 8 9 0

ENMU 200 001 010 — 4 9 5

Daniel Herlehy, Brad Barton (4), Andrew Peterson (6), Matthew Garcia (7), Rudy Sierra (8), Alton Tomlin (9) and Denver Eaton; Kelly Crain, Jesse Garcia-Perez (6), David Swinconos (8), Trevor Davis (8) and Brett Scherer. W — Barton (4-1). L — Crain (4-2). DP — New Mexico Highlands 2. LOB — New Mexico Highlands 9, ENMU 6. 2B — New Mexico Highlands: Zach Dominguez, Cam Shick, Matt Mendez. ENMU: Tyler Hayes. T — 2:37. A — 50.