ACU cruises past Hounds in round-robin

ABILENE, Texas — Although it's a small sample, based on Friday's Eastern New Mexico University-Abilene Christian game, one could draw the conclusion that the Lone Star Conference is a tad better in baseball than the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

The Greyhounds wouldn't argue that, anyway, after getting drubbed 18-3 by the host Wildcats in the round-robin Whitten Inn Classic, matching four LSC squads.

ENMU (11-3) came into the game with a 10-2 mark against the RMAC early in the season, but the Hounds were no match on this day for the Wildcats (8-7), who pounded out 23 hits — at least one from every starter, eight with more than one hit. The game was called after 6 1/2 innings on the 10-run rule.

Leadoff man Seth Spivey gave a hint of things to come when he led off the bottom of the first with a home run to right off ENMU right-hander Ben Monticello (2-1), who lasted just two-plus innings and gave up 11 runs (nine earned).

Third baseman Kyle Giusti went 4-for-4 for the Wildcats, with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs. Spivey and Kyle Conwell, Keith Yorkman and Heath Beasley — the bottom third of the order — all had three hits for ACU.

That made it easy for pitcher Jordan Herrera (4-1), who went the distance on a four-hitter, with two walks and six strikeouts.

The Hounds closed to 8-1 in the top of the third on a leadoff walk to catcher Jordan Rogers, a one-out single by shortstop Brett Ackerman and a two-out RBI single to left by second baseman Colton Sims. They got their other runs in the fourth when third baseman Rafael Romo delivered a two-out, two-run single to center, but ENMU's only baserunner the rest of the way came on Herrera's third-strike wild pitch in the fifth.

The Hounds take on Tarleton State today, then close out their play in the event with on Sunday against Cameron. Both games are scheduled for noon (MST) starts.