Hounds end losing streak

PORTALES - With an eight-game losing streak in tow, Eastern New Mexico University's baseball team was in serious need of a lift.

On Sunday, the Greyhounds got it, and in a surprising area. Homerless through their first nine games, ENMU swatted three long balls to notch a 9-7 win over Adams State at Greyhound Field and earn a split of the two-game weekend non-conference series.

With a brisk wind blowing out to left, freshman left fielder Spencer Roach drove in three runs with a pair of home runs, while freshman second baseman Mason Estrada snapped a 6-6 tie with a two-run shot in the seventh.

Meantime, Texico sophomore right-hander Dalton Thatcher (1-2) worked the final 4 1/3 innings in relief, allowing five hits and one run with no walks and two strikeouts.

In addition to the home runs, ENMU (2-8) added four triples and a double in a 14-hit attack.

The Alamosa, Colo.-based Grizzlies (2-4) got a one-out homer in the first inning from designated hitter Matt Bathauer, then chased ENMU starter Tommy Perez with four doubles in a five-run fifth - including center fielder Chase Dixon's bases-clearing two-bagger - to take a 6-5 lead.

ENMU returns to Lone Star Conference play this weekend in a four-game series at Cameron, beginning with a 1 p.m. (MST) single game on Friday.

Adams State 10, ENMU 4 (Saturday) - In the series opener, the Grizzlies struck for four fourth-inning runs off Hounds freshman left-hander Ruger Bravo (0-3) to break a 3-3 tie.

Senior catcher Cedrick Reynaud went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Adams State, including a two-run single to cap a three-run second. Freshman shortstop Ramon Ramirez was 3-for-3 with a walk and scored three times.

Adams State outhit the Hounds 12-6, and got a solid six-inning performance from starter Villa Alfredo (2-0).

"I thought he did a good job of attacking the zone today," Grizzlies coach Bruce DelTondo said. "We're pretty pleased with our guys' performance today. We were able to execute our 'small' game. We had a couple of crooked numbers (multi-run innings) up there."

Much of the damage for Adams State came from the bottom of the order. The bottom five batters combined for eight hits and seven runs scored.

"It was the back half of our lineup that was able to create (scoring situations) today," said DelTondo, a 1994 Adams State grad.

Sophomore right-hander Anthony Bieggi allowed no hits and one run to earn a three-inning save. ENMU relievers Javier Luna and William McBride combined for three scoreless inning, allowing just one hit.

"Too many walks," ENMU coach Riley Price said, referring to seven bases-on-balls, two hit batsmen and two wild pitches. "They competed better overall that we did.

"Their starter kept us off-balance. We (almost) never got into a hitting count."