Hounds pull sweep over Kingsville to open LSC series

CMI staff

Left fielder Blake Cooper had four hits Friday, and Eastern New Mexico snatched a pair of walk-off wins from Texas A&M Kingsville at Greyhound Field.

The 3-2, 4-3 wins over the Javelinas gives the Greyhounds a three-game winning streak and no worse than a split in the four-game series. Eastern (14-8, 4-6) lost each of their first two Lone Star Conference series three games to one.

The two teams meet again today in a noon doubleheader at Greyhound Field. The series was condensed to a pair of doubleheaders based on a forecast of rain on Sunday.

In the first game, Cooper doubled to advance third baseman Sam Hedrick, but ENMU won via a throwing error that allowed Hedrick to score. In the final inning of the nightcap, left fielder Rawley Gomez delivered a single in the bottom of the seventh to score catcher Steven Moore.

Ben Monticello (4-1) pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing just two earned runs on six hits, with eight strikeouts to just one walk. He retired 10 consecutive batters between the second and fifth innings.

Kiegan Basso (3-1) grabbed the win in one inning of perfect relief with a pair of strikeouts in the second game.

Mustangs top Zias

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Shortstop Katy Vandewater went 1-for-2 and drove in three runs, and Midwestern State pulled away from Eastern New Mexico late to claim a 6-3 victory in the second day of the LSC Showcase, hosted by MSU.

Vandewater halved a 2-0 ENMU lead in the first inning with a bases-loaded walk, then added a pair of insurance runs with a two-run double down the right field line in the sixth inning for the Mustangs (19-9, 7-1 LSC).

It is the fifth consecutive win for MSU, with four of them coming against the Zias. The Mustangs took a three-game series in Portales, then beat Tarleton State 8-5 to open the Showcase.

The Zias (7-17, 1-7) paired timely hitting with a pair of MSU errors in the first inning, with catcher Aurelia Sandoval registering an RBI single. But the Mustangs never trailed again after a two-run homer by catcher Kim Jerrick.

Erin Knox improved to 8-2 with the complete game win, and allowed three runs — two earned — on a pair of hits. Rebecca Long was tagged with the loss in her first decision of the season. She went six innings, giving up five hits and 11 walks.

The Zias are back in action at the Showcase with an 11:30 a.m. game against Cameron.