Hounds hold off Mustangs late

Staff report

PORTALES — Senior first baseman Blake Cooper went 3-for-5 with three doubles and four RBIs and Eastern New Mexico University turned a game-ending double play to squelch a ninth-inning rally for a 9-7 win over University of the Southwest on Tuesday at Greyhound Field.

Freshman Elijah Capello earned a three-inning save, but it wasn’t without excitement. After going six-up and six-down in the seventh and eighth, the Mustangs (10-32) loaded the bases in the ninth on a single, an error and a hit batsman.

Pinch-hitter Brandon Slate pulled USW to 9-6 with a sacrifice fly. Evan Offutt walked and Josh Ortega was hit by a pitch to force in another run, but Cappello was able to get Robert Montoya to ground into a 6-4-3 double play on a 3-2 pitch to end it.

The loss extended USW’s losing streak to nine games.

Offutt hit a two-run double for the Mustangs in the top of the first, but ENMU tied it on Cooper’s two-run double in the bottom half off right-hander Jace Hall, who went the distance for USW and finished with 140 pitches. Hall gave up 14 hits in the game, including six doubles and a triple, and struck out 11.

The Hounds got to him for six runs on just three hits in the second, highlighted by Cooper’s three-run double to center field.

Offutt, though, kept his team in it the rest of the way, allowing eight hits and just one run over the final six innings.

Senior Cody Pope threw four innings for the win while Kiegan Basso (1-2), the second of four ENMU hurlers, pitched a perfect fifth to pick up the win, striking out two.

Junior designated hitter Brennen Pierson went 3-for-5 for the Hounds, while senior left fielder Zach Kazmierski added a pair of hits.

Junior left fielder Trey Alcachupas junior second baseman Anthony Boyle were both 2-for-4 for the Mustangs, who finished with nine hits.

ENMU, one game out of fourth place and a spot in the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament, returns to league play with a three-game series at home against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Friday’s series opener is set to begin at 6 p.m.