Hounds take three of four from A&M I

PORTALES – Two teams were looking to bounce back after getting swept in season-opening Lone Star Conference baseball series. In the end, it was the Greyhounds who were doing the bouncing.

Sophomore second baseman Demetrio Archuleta delivered a two-run single and senior center fielder Camden Matthews added a two-run triple, keying a six-run sixth that lifted Eastern New Mexico University to an 8-6 win over Texas A&M International on Sunday at Greyhound Field and a 3-1 series win.

Senior right-hander Damian Acosta (1-1), ineffective in a relief outing the previous weekend at Angelo State, threw six frames of two-run relief with eight strikeouts in this one as the Hounds (3-5, 3-5 LSC) rallied from an early 4-0 hole.

Acosta, who tossed 108 pitches, replaced starter Dalton Fletcher with runners at the corners in the second and promptly escaped further damage by inducing a 6-4-3 double-play grounder from senior first baseman Mario Chacon.

Freshman third baseman Dylan Hummel tripled home senior Nick Schifftner and then came in on senior Braeton Matthews' single to pull the Hounds to 4-2 in the second, but there was no further scoring until ENMU torched International's bullpen in the sixth.

Acosta faltered slightly in the eighth, giving up two runs (one earned), but senior right-hander Vernon Hart retired five consecutive hitters to earn the team's first save of the campaign.

Starter Danny Dial allowed two runs with four walks and four strikeouts over four innings for the Dustdevils (1-7, 1-7), who were swept at home on opening weekend by West Texas A&M.

The Hounds, outhit 10-8 for the game, were paced by Hummel's 3-for-4 day at the plate. Meantime, nine players had one hit apiece for International (1-7, 1-7), led by left fielder Joseph Cruz with 2-for-3.

ENMU 5-2, International 4-12 (Saturday) – Hummel's one-out, bases-loaded single drove in senior Cooper Hamilton with the winning tally in a three-run seventh in the opener. Hamilton had tied the game earlier in the frame with a two-run single.

The Dustdevils appeared poised to win when Cruz snapped a 2-2 tie with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the frame.

Senior Noah De La Riva worked six innings for the Hounds, allowing just three hits and two unearned runs with five strikeouts. Starter Lalo Salina (0-1) pitched effectively until seventh, giving up four singles in a row to start it capped by Hamilton's tying knock.

ENMU outhit International 12-6, with Hamilton, Archuleta and freshmen Jonatan Clough and Willie Ponce all going 2-for-3.

In Game 2, the Hounds led 1-0 in the first, but did little after that. The Dustdevils broke it open with an eight-run sixth to put it out of reach, sparked by two-run singles from left fielder Alex Lugo and shortstop Leeandro Alfonzo.

Right-hander Jan Cabrera (1-0) pitched into the sixth for the win. ENMU sophomore left-hander Ruger Bravo (0-2) allowed five runs (four earned) in five-plus innings.

All nine starters hit safely in International's 15-hit attack, led by Chacon with a double, two singles, two RBIs and three runs scored. Hummel and Camden Matthews each had a pair of hits for ENMU.

ENMU is back on the road for four games at Texas A&M-Kingsville this weekend, starting with a 2 p.m. (MST) single affair on Friday.