Hounds score six in ninth, end losing streak

SAN ANTONIO — Eastern New Mexico University’s baseball team erased a five-run deficit over the final three innings, capped by a six-run ninth, for a 9-5 win over St. Mary’s on Sunday to salvage the finale of a three-game Lone Star Conference series and end an eight-game losing streak.

The Greyhounds (6-18, 5-18), who had lost 10 of their previous 11 coming in, sent 10 men to the plate in the ninth and took advantage of a third-strike wild pitch to start the frame.

An error, on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Cole Luedeking, proved costly as it loaded the bases with no one out. Third baseman Trevor Moses followed with an RBI single to right, and Nicholas Tamez drew a walk to force in the tying run.

Everyone was safe on Camden Matthews’ fielder’s choice grounder, pushing in the go-ahead tally. Another wild pitch made it 7-5, freshman Rio Granger added an RBI single and, with two out, catcher Jake Thompson hit a run-scoring double.

Sophomore right-hander Damian Acosta (3-1) worked 3 2/3 innings in relief of starter Dalton Thatcher, allowing two hits and one run. He finished with five strikeouts and worked around five walks, a hit batsman and two wild pitches.

Moses, who knocked in three runs, and Granger each had three of ENMU’s 14 hits. Moses pulled the Hounds to 5-3 in the seventh with a two-out, two run double.

The Hounds are back in action this weekend in a three-game LSC set at Lubbock Christian, beginning with a 5 p.m. (MDT) single game on Friday.

Rotich wins 5,000 at WT meet — Senior Mercy Rotich paced ENMU track athletes over the weekend in West Texas A&M’s Jo Meaker Classic at Canyon, winning the women’s 5,000 in a time of 19 minutes, 15.12 seconds.

Meantime, Portales junior Jessica Campbell was second in the women’s heptathlon, breaking her own school record in the event set at the 2019 Lone Star Conference meet with 4,657 points. She was first in javelin (124 feet, 2 inches), tied for first in high jump (5-3 1/4), second in the 800 (2:27.02), third in shot put (35-3) and sixth in the 100 hurdles (15.85 seconds) and long jump (15-3 1/2).

Also for the women, sophomore Paige Graham and senior Ocean Paul went 5-6 in pole vault, each clearing 9-7; junior Kayla Sisneros and sophomore Marta Pascoa placed 6-7 in the 5,000 with respective times of 19:34.21 and 19:46.29; senior Malethabo Seema was eighth in the 800 in 2:17.86; sophomore Tamia Smith came in eighth in shot put with a program-record effort of 42-2, and the 1,600 relay team of junior Neri Getraide, senior Caroline Bachman, junior Lethablo Seema and Malethabo Seema ran fourth in 4:05.65.

For the men, junior Kelvin Kipkemboi was fourth in the 5,000 in 15:31.53 while junior Toby Kirk notched fifth in the 3,000 steeplechase in 11:09.01.

The Greyhounds are back in action on Saturday in Texas Tech’s Masked Rider Open in Lubbock.