No. 2 Angelo blanks Hounds in opener 11-0

SAN ANGELO, Texas – In its first postseason appearance since 2018, Eastern New Mexico University’s baseball team knew it faced a monumental challenge against Lone Star Conference champion and second-ranked Angelo State in an LSC tournament first-round, best-of-three series.

The Greyhounds tried to hang with the Rams for a while in Friday’s opener, but ASU erupted for six runs in the bottom of the sixth en route to an 11-0 victory in a clash which ended after 6 ½ innings on the 10-run rule.

ENMU (23-27) was out to extend its season in Saturday’s second game. If the Hounds could accomplish that, they would play the deciding game at noon (CDT) today.

Angelo (43-8) scored each of its first five runs off ENMU junior left-hander Ruger Bravo (6-8) with two outs – one in the first on a squeeze bunt single by sophomore second baseman Austin Beck, two in the third on senior left fielder Jacob Guerrero’s sixth home run of the season and two in the fifth on Beck’s two-run double to left.

The sixth inning started with an error, and only got worse from there.

Guerrero completed a four-RBI game with a one-out, two-run double, chasing Bravo. Senior first baseman Jordan Williams followed with an RBI single, pinch-hitter Reese Johnson delivered a sacrifice fly and junior third baseman Kamden Kelton added a two-run infield single to shortstop.

Junior right-hander Aaron Munson (6-2) gave up a two-out single to freshman third baseman Demetrio Archuleta in the first in the first and a two-out triple to senior first baseman Nick Schifftner in the third, his fourth of the season and third in the last five games. But that was it against Munson, who struck out four and worked four innings to get the win.

Junior left-hander Kade Bragg, who went 11-1 in 12 starts during the regular campaign, finished in his first relief appearance of the spring to pick up a three-inning save. He allowed no hits with two walks and five strikeouts.