Hounds finish off series sweep at Highlands

LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico University pounded out a season-best 21 hits, including eight players with multiple hits, and pulled away to a 15-8 win over New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, completing a two-game sweep of their only non-league series of the season.

Senior center fielder Camden Matthews led the attack, going 4-for-6 from the leadoff spot with two RBIs and a run scored. Freshman third baseman Dylan Hummel and sophomore second baseman Demetrio Archuleta each collected three knocks.

Seven players had at least one RBI for the Greyhounds (9-12), including four with two, and ENMU also scored two runs on wild pitches and one each on a passed ball and a balk.

Sophomore left-hander Ruger Bravo (3-3) pitched into the sixth inning for the win, allowing four runs on four hits. Junior right-hander Javier Luna got the final two outs with the tying runs on base in the seventh and went the final 2 2/3 innings to earn a save.

Freshman left fielder Jonatan Clough’s seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot in the first, staked the Hounds to an early 3-0 lead, but the Cowboys (1-17) tied it with three in the second and tied it again 4-4 in the fourth on shortstop Hunter Waugh’s solo homer, his fourth of the campaign.

The Hounds took the lead for good with two in the top of the fifth, but didn’t get away from the Cowboys until scoring five times in the eighth for a 14-7 lead.

Highlands, which dropped its 13th game in a row, collected 15 hits with right fielder Alex Admire and first baseman Jadrian Martinez both going 3-for-5.

The Hounds resume Lone Star Conference play this weekend with a four-game series at Greyhound Field against Cameron, beginning with a 2 p.m. single game on Friday. All ENMU home games for the rest of the season have been switched to afternoon starts because of issues with the stadium’s lights.