UTPB snaps Hounds' streak in nightcap

PORTALES — The party’s over, but it sure was fun while it lasted.

Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team extended its winning streak to four by edging Texas-Permian Basin 4-3 in eight innings in the opener of Sunday’s Lone Star Conference softball doubleheader at Greyhound Field, but the Falcons rebounded with a 13-3 drubbing in Game 2.

The Greyhounds (4-21, 4-20 LSC) put together a nice streak after losing their first 20 games of the year, but they ran out of steam in Sunday’s nightcap.

ENMU closes out its campaign with a 4 p.m. (MDT) doubleheader at West Texas A&M on Saturday, then makeup twin bills next Wednesday at St. Mary’s and on May 7 at St. Edward’s.

In Sunday’s first game, the Hounds never led until scoring the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth on freshman Kianna Galindo’s second sacrifice fly in three innings. Her sixth-inning sac fly made it 3-3 after the Falcons (6-32, 4-24) had gone in front in the top half on an RBI double by center fielder Alice Marion.

ENMU trailed 2-0 before getting run-scoring singles in the fourth from freshmen Aylene Lucero and Bella Mendoza. Freshman Brook Leger earned the win with 4 1/3 innings of one-run relief, striking out five.

Leger (3-7) started the second game and was chased in a four-run Falcons fourth, making it 5-0. UTPB then erupted for eight runs in the sixth, highlighted by third baseman Aracely Araiza’s two-run double and a three-run double by second baseman Abby Hernandez.

UTPB’s Sierra Camacho (1-7) was working on a five-hit shutout until the bottom of the sixth when she gave up a single, a double and freshman Tianna Boone’s second home run of the season, a three-run shot to center. The game ended after six on the eight-run rule.

Araiza drove in four runs, the other two coming on a fourth-inning single. Five players had at least two knocks for UTPB, which outhit the Hounds 17-8.

ENMU finished its abbreviated home schedule with a 3-5 record.

EMMU drops baseball series finale — The ENMU baseball team came within an eyelash of its first series sweep of the season on Saturday, but instead had to settle for a series win after a one-out, two-run single by second baseman Ariben Gutierrez in the bottom of the ninth gave Texas A&M International a 7-6 Lone Star Conference victory at Laredo, Texas.

The Greyhounds (8-27, 7-25 LSC) broke a scoreless tie with a four-run second, capped by freshman Camden Matthews’ two-out, two-run single to right. They added a fourth-inning run on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead.

Texico redshirt freshman Dalton Thatcher worked five scoreless innings for the Hounds, but gave up four runs (three earned) in the sixth, the last three coming on the first collegiate homer for freshman first baseman Daniel Quiroz.

Thatcher went one more frame, finishing it off by getting three consecutive outs after the first two men had reached. He allowed eight hits, walked three and fanned two over his 100-pitch effort.

The Hounds regained a two-run lead on an RBI single to night by first baseman Nick Schifftner in the top of the seventh. International (8-24, 7-23) pulled to 6-5 in the eighth on junior Ronnie Bailey’s sacrifice fly.

ENMU right-hander James Romero (1-4) was lifted after a one-out error and a walk put the potential winning runs on base in the ninth. Junior right-hander Liam Sabiston’s wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position before Gutierrez dropped his game-winning hit into left field.

ENMU came into the weekend having lost six in a row and 18 of its previous 20, but swept the Dustdevils 9-4 and 12-11 on Friday to clinch its second series win of the campaign.

The Hounds return to south Texas and put the wraps on their season this weekend with a three-game conference series against Texas A&M-Kingsville, starting with a 5 p.m. (MDT) single game on Friday.