ENMU comes up short against Cameron

LAWTON, Okla. — Eastern New Mexico University’s bid for its first series win in nearly two years came up short on Saturday.

Second baseman Beau Williams and shortstop Julian Macias combined for nine RBIs and Cameron posted a 10-6 Lone Star Conference win over the Greyhounds in the rubber match of a three-game set.

ENMU (1-7, 1-7 LSC) posted its first win of the campaign on Friday, capturing the second game of a twin bill 6-5 after dropping the opener 3-2 in 11 innings. The Hounds last won a series in late March 2019, taking three of four on the road against Dallas Christian.

Williams went 3-for-5 with a double and five RBIs while Macias was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. The Aggies (3-3, 3-3) broke a scoreless tie with a four-run fourth to chase ENMU freshman right-hander Dalton Thatcher of Texico, making his first collegiate start.

The Hounds pulled to within a run twice, scoring three times in the fifth and three more in the seventh, but Williams singled home a run and Macias followed with a two-run double in the bottom half to secure the win for Cameron.

Center fielder Camden Matthews went 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch three times for the Hounds, scoring a pair of runs. First baseman Nick Schifftner delivered a two-run single for ENMU in the fifth.

Cameron 3-5, ENMU 2-6 (Friday) — Shortstop Trevor Moses drove in three runs with a two-run homer and a ninth-inning, go-ahead sacrifice fly in the nightcap and reliever Damian Acosta made it stand up, stranding the tying run at third in the bottom half as the Hounds snapped a six-game losing streak against the Aggies.

ENMU hit its first two homers of the season in the contest, with left fielder Nicholas Tamez going deep in the second for a 1-0 lead. The Aggies rallied, though, and appeared in control with a 5-2 advantage after Jordan Harrison’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.

The Hounds got one back in the sixth on doubles by Andres Quintana and Matthew Kory, then Moses sent a two-run shot out to right field with two down in the seventh to make it 5-5.

In the ninth, catcher Jake Thompson led off with a double, took third on Matthews’ sacrifice bunt and scored on Moses’ sac fly.

Acosta (1-1) worked the final 2 1/3 innings for the Hounds, allowing one hit with two walks and five strikeouts.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Cameron’s Cooper Edwards doubled and pinch-runner S’mauri Abram took third on a passed ball before Acosta ended it by getting shortstop Erik Ohman to ground out to third.

In Game 1, the Hounds broke up the Aggies’ combined shutout bid in the ninth inning, scoring twice to send the contest into extra innings but stranding the bases loaded in the process.

The teams combined to hit 11 batters in the game. ENMU had just three hits and couldn’t take advantage of eight walks and six hit batsmen, stranding 13 baserunners while the Aggies left 10 on.

Junior right-hander Josh Lewis gave the Hounds perhaps their best start of the season, allowing seven hits and two runs with one walk and four strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. Freshman left-hander Cooper Hamilton took the loss despite allowing just one hit and one walk in four innings of relief, but he hit three batters in the 11th, including first baseman Kalen Haynes with the bases loaded and one out to end it.

Cameron’s Michael Womack had a one-hitter going through 6 2/3 innings, but issued six walks and hit three batters and was pulled as he tried to nurse a one-run lead. The Aggies added a run in the seventh on Ohman’s one-out homer, a solo shot to right-center, but they weren’t able to overcome their control issues in the ninth.

ENMU took advantage of a double by sophomore Cole Luedeking, three hit batsmen and a wild pitch in the frame, but with second and third and no one out and the bases loaded and one out the Aggies’ Jayce Clem (1-0) managed to keep the game even.