ENMU baseball team appears headed to postseason

PORTALES — The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team is likely headed for the Lone Star Conference tournament.

Coming into this weekend’s four-game home series with UT Permian Basin, the Greyhounds needed to win at least two games for a shot at the LSC dance. After losing Friday’s series opener, the Hounds got consecutive victories on Saturday, beating Permian Basin with an offensive outburst — 11-5 and 15-8 — that included 24 total hits.

Eastern accomplished the doubleheader sweep in different fashions. In the first game, the Hounds rallied from a 2-0 first-inning deficit, plating six runs in the bottom of the second inning and two more in the third. In the nightcap, ENMU rolled right away, sending across eight runs in the bottom of the first.

Endy Villalona led Eastern in the opener, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Garlind Webster wielded the most effective bat in the nightcap, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored.

Enrique Perez (6-3) overcame a rough early start, plus his seven hits and five runs allowed through 4 2/3 innings of work overall to get the first-game victory. Levi Shandrew pitched the last 2 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk.

Keenan Dodd (6-3) won the second game, despite allowing seven hits, six runs and three walks through his five innings on the hill. Cesar Capellan finished up, throwing two innings and surrendering two hits, two runs and a walk in that span.

The series concludes today with a 1 p.m. game at Greyhound Stadium.