Hounds split with Riverhawks

Eastern New Mexico University’s baseball team got off to a good start

in Lone Star Conference play over the weekend. The Greyhounds fell

short in their bid to make it a great start.

Northeastern State

shortstop Blake Neighbors hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the top of

the ninth and the RiverHawks pulled out the finale of the four-game

series 10-7 on Saturday at Greyhound Field.

Still, the Greyhounds won three games in the series after rallying for a 10-5 win in the opener.

The

Hounds (7-3, 3-1 LSC) came from behind in each of their wins in the

series, and rallied back again in the finale. This time, though, they

couldn’t hold off the RiverHawks (5-5, 1-3).

ENMU took a 7-6

lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the RiverHawks

tied it in the eighth on Matt Smith’s RBI double to right-center.

In

the ninth, Matt Huggard singled and went to third on a single by

pinch-hitter Michael Houser, who advanced to second on the throw to

third. Neighbors then singled through the left side to put the

RiverHawks ahead 9-7.

Neighbors advanced to second on an error on the play and scored on Joel Eusebio’s double to left-center.

Adam

Hibdon (2-0) got the win with 2 2/3 innings in relief of RiverHawks

starter Shay Colburn. Jerry Manning (1-1), ENMU’s fifth pitcher, took

the loss.

The RiverHawks finished with 18 hits in the game, led

by catcher Chris Sprick and first baseman Taylor Clark with three

apiece. Sprick gave Northeastern a 6-4 lead with a three-run homer in

the sixth, while left fielder Eric McKinney also had a solo shot for

the RiverHawks.

Right fielder Jeremy Johnson and third baseman Sean Cruce each went 2-for-4 for ENMU, which had 10 hits.

ENMU 10, Northeastern State 5, 1st game — The Hounds rallied for nine runs in their final two at-bats in the seven-inning opener, erasing a 5-1 deficit.

ENMU

reached RiverHawks starter Jerad Ball (0-1) for five runs and six hits

in the fifth. Paden Vendrely hit an RBI double and Freddy Carmona,

Chris Eaton and Kevin Thompson all delivered run-scoring hits.

The

Hounds then broke it open in the sixth with Vendrely hitting a two-run

single, Clayton Young adding an RBI groundout and another run scoring

on a wild pitch.

ENMU starter Matt Aragon pitched into and out

of trouble early before wildness did him in. He gave up two hits in

each of the first two innings, but benefitted from two double plays and

a runner caught stealing.

In the fourth, though, he walked four

batters, including designated hitter Brandon Espinal with the bases

loaded. Brett Roberts followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0

RiverHawks lead.

Eaton hit an RBI single in the ENMU fourth, but

Northeastern chased Aragon with three runs in the fifth on only two

hits, including an RBI single by Sprick.

Juan Sanchez (1-0) got

two outs in the fifth and picked up the win, while junior Jared Wilson

worked two perfect innings for his first save.

ENMU outhit the

RiverHawks 14-6, led by Carmona with 3-for-3 and a walk and Eaton with

3-for-4. Cruce, Vendrely and Thompson each had

two hits.