Hounds open season with four-game sweep

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team wasn’t quite as dominating in Saturday’s doubleheader against Lane College as it was in Friday’s season-opening twin bill, but pretty close.

The Greyhounds, who scored 44 runs in crushing the Dragons in Friday’s twin bill, posted victories by scores of 14-4 and 7-0 on Saturday afternoon.

No other information was immediately available on those games.

ENMU will be right back in the southeast this week, playing six games over four days in Atlanta, including a pair of doubleheaders. The Hounds’ first game on the trip is scheduled for Thursday against Virginia State.

ENMU 21-23, Lane College 4-0 (Friday) — Second baseman Alex DeLaCruz went 8-for-13 with three homers, seven runs scored and nine RBIs, and the Hounds scored in every inning except one, including a 12-run seventh in the opener capped by left fielder Michael McNicholl’s grand slam.

The Dragons erased a 4-0 deficit with two-run homers from second baseman Dante Clay and shortstop Chris O’Neal in the bottom of the second, and ENMU failed to score for the only time in the game in the third. In the fourth, though, McNicholl hit an RBI double and designated hitter Jesus Villalobos followed with an RBI infield single, and the Hounds pulled away from there.

Enrique Perez went the distance on the mound on a three-hitter — all coming in the second. He struck out 11 and walked four.

McNicholl finished 3-for-5 with six RBIs. The Hounds pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of 11 walks and four Lane College errors.

In the nightcap, three ENMU pitchers combined on a one-hitter — center fielder Tavariz Brow’s leadoff single to right in the sixth — and DeLa Cruz went 5-for-7 with two homers and five RBIs. First baseman Jared Gay also drove in five runs with a pair of homers, while right fielder Malcolm Smith had a leadoff homer in the third.

ENMU finished with 18 hits, and the Dragons committed seven errors.