Hounds settle for series split with Falcons

ODESSA, Texas – While Eastern New Mexico University is still eighth and would qualify for the Lone Star Conference baseball tournament if the season ended now, the Greyhounds didn’t do themselves any favors on Sunday.

With a chance to win the series, ENMU surrendered 11 runs between the second and fourth innings and absorbed a 13-3 shellacking against Texas-Permian Basin, which ended it on the 10-run rule in the bottom of the seventh.

Heading into a weekend series with third-place Texas-Tyler at Greyhound Field, ENMU (14-15, 12-15) is one-half game behind seventh-place St. Mary’s (14-15, 13-15), and 1 ½ games ahead of Texas A&M International (14-20, 13-19) and Oklahoma Christian (11-18, 11-17) for the final tourney spot. The Hounds face St. Mary’s and OC later in April.

The Hounds toughed out wins over the Falcons (12-20, 12-20) on Friday morning and in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, but they were dominated by UTPB in the two losses.

“Not a great way to end the weekend,” ENMU baseball coach Riley Price said. “They (Falcons) swung it really well today and were tougher outs at the plate than we were. We need to make some adjustments and get back to competing at a higher level.”

Trailing 12-2, sophomore Mason Estrada kept the game alive with a leadoff pinch-hit home run in the top of the seventh. But the Falcons promptly countered, ending it when first baseman Ethan Flodstrom led off the bottom half with a walk and came around on shortstop Mason Hamlin’s double, his fourth hit of the contest.

Sophomore right-hander Parker Goin (1-2), who entered the game with a 9.60 ERA, limited the Hounds to six hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Meantime, Hamlin drove in three runs for UTPB, which collected 15 knocks and had four other players with two hits apiece.

Texas-Permian Basin 7-2, ENMU 0-5 (Saturday) – Junior right-hander Creede Jeffers (3-3) tossed the Falcons’ first shutout of the season in the opener on a seven-hitter, with no walks and 12 strikeouts.

UTPB scored twice in the bottom of the third, then added four more in the fourth to break it open. Flodstrom, Hamlin and catcher Ethan Babcock-Barrie each posted two of the team’s nine hits.

Senior center fielder Camden Matthews went 3-for-4 for the Hounds, including a pair of doubles.

In the nightcap, sophomore right-hander Julian Lopez (2-1) earned a complete game in just his second start, scattering seven hits. ENMU finished with six hits, including two apiece for sophomore second baseman Demetrio Archuleta and freshman left fielder Jonatan Clough.

Archuleta hit a two-run double in the Hounds’ three-run fifth while Clough delivered an RBI single in the fourth and a run-scoring double in the fifth.