Early rally not enough for Hounds

Catcher John Baiada hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning and finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs on Friday night as 20th-ranked West Texas A&M posted a 16-5 Lone Star Conference baseball victory over Eastern New Mexico University at Greyhound Field.

Baiada’s second home run of the season put the Buffaloes (21-7, 10-4 LSC) in front 4-2. WT extended its lead to 14-2 with a nine-run fourth in which Baiada hit a run-scoring triple and then capped the outburst with a two-run single.

The game was called after seven innings because of the 10-run rule. The teams wrap up their four-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader today.

link Staff photo: Matthew Asher

ENMU pitcher James Thomas congratulates sophomore Mike McNicholl after his a two-run homer in the second inning tied Friday’s Lone Start Conference baseball game against West Texas A&M at 2-2. The Buffaloes, though, went on to a 16-5 win over ENMU at Greyhound Field.

Left fielder Mike McNicholl hit a two-run homer, his first, for the Greyhounds (9-19, 2-12) in the second inning to tie the score, but WT’s Matt Cole led off the third with a single and took second on a sacrifice before Baiada sent one over the barrier off ENMU starter James Thomas (0-2).

Brooks Trujillo (5-2) earned the win, pitching six innings and allowing three hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The Hounds reached reliever Luke Downs for three runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh.

WT got run-scoring singles from Nick Chapman and Troy LaBrie in the first. The Buffs scored twice and left the bases loaded in the fifth despite not having a hit.

WT led 11 runners on base compared with just two for the Hounds. Cole finished 3-for-4 with a walk and scored four times, while second baseman Trace Hansen and LaBrie both went 2-for-3 and combined to drive in five runs.

The Hounds had six hits, but no one had more than one.