Hounds take wild sweep from OC

PORTALES – On a weekend where balls were flying all over the park, Eastern New Mexico University managed to limit Oklahoma Christian to three hits in Sunday's finale at Greyhound Field – and still had all it could do to get away with a win.

The Greyhounds completed their first four-game Lone Star Conference series sweep since March 2017, holding off the Eagles 6-4 behind two more home runs from freshman left fielder Jonatan Clough.

Clough belted four round-trippers in the series to give him 14 for the season – breaking the school's single-season record of 12 set by Steve Marquez in both 1995 and 1996. He also drove in an incredible 19 runs during the series, getting nine in Friday's 22-21 walkoff win and five in both Saturday's doubleheader opener and Sunday's clash.

He did all that despite receiving four intentional walks in Saturday's twin bill and getting ejected after his second round-tripper on Sunday for "excessive celebration." It was one of six ejections in what turned into a contentious series.

Clough currently ranks second in the LSC in home runs and fourth in RBIs with 56.

ENMU survived despite 14 combined walks from starter Damian Acosta and reliever Anthony Gonzalez (2-1), who worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth with one of ENMU's two double plays.

With two weekends left in the season, the Hounds (21-20, 19-20 LSC) currently have a firm hold on seventh place in the conference, with the top eight of 13 teams making the league's tournament. They still have work to do, though, with a four-game series this weekend at eighth-place St. Mary's (19-23, 17-23) and four at home April 28-30 against fifth-place Lubbock Christian (24-18, 22-18).

"It was an eventful weekend, to say the least, and I'm proud of our guys for fighting hard for the sweep today," ENMU coach Riley Price said. "We allowed a lot of free bases, but we made some solid defensive plays to keep them from cashing in."

Clough's three-run homer capped a four-run first, but the Eagles (12-30, 12-28) used four walks and a hit batsman to score twice in the second. Acosta still carried a no-hitter into the fifth, but two walks and an error set up OC's first knock, a two-out, two-run single by second baseman Hank Heiselbetz.

Rodriguez then got Chance Westervelt to ground into a 6-3 double play. He pitched around five walks, including two in the ninth before ending it by getting first baseman Ethan Box to line out to right field.

Meantime, Clough's tiebreaking two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth turned out to be the final scoring in a weekend which saw the teams combine for 98 runs and 121 hits.

ENMU outhit the Eagles 10-3, with second baseman Demetrio Archuleta going 3-for-4 and third baseman Nyles Duren 2-for-4.

ENMU 7-18, Oklahoma Christian 6-14 (Saturday) – In the first of two games scheduled for seven, Duren scored from second on Archuleta's single to right when he avoided OC catcher Hunter Jones' tag in the bottom of the eighth.

Senior center fielder Camden Matthews led the Hounds' 16-hit attack, going 5-for-5 with three runs scored. He completed a perfect day with four hits and a walk in Game 2, tallying four more times.

"I made a few adjustments after yesterday," said Matthews, who took an 0-for-5 collar on Sunday after going 12-for-14 in the first three games. "I'm just trying to stay simple and stay consistent. I've hit a lot of balls at people this year, so it was nice to see some fall in."

After getting two IBBs in Saturday's opener, Clough hit a three-run double in the first inning and a leadoff homer in the third in Game 2 before he was walked his next two times up. He added an RBI single in the sixth.

"We've been hitting good, making adjustments," said Clough, who is from the Dominican Republic. "I'm feeling pretty comfortable.

"It's looking pretty good for us to get to the (LSC tournament). We don't have any pressure right now. We just have to keep hitting like we've been doing."

Junior left-hander Ruger Bravo (6-5) went all eight frames in the opener, allowing nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts while retiring the side in order four times. The Eagles reached him for four runs in the second for a 4-1 lead, capped by a two-run double from Heiselbetz.

Junior right fielder Cooper Hamilton went 3-for-4, while senior first baseman Nick Schifftner was 2-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs.

In the second game, the Eagles had 12 extra base hits, including three homers, and outhit ENMU 21-12. But they lost because seven pitchers combined for 12 walks.

Sunday's scheduled ENMU starter, sophomore Julian Lopez (3-2), was pressed into relief duty in this one and threw 110 pitches over 4 2/3 innings.

"We felt like he gave us the best chance to come in and win," Price said.

Clough highlighted the attack with a three-run double, a solo home run and an RBI single.

ENMU 22, Oklahoma Christian 21 (Friday) – OC scored in all but one inning and ENMU in all but three in a 3-hour, 52-minute marathon in which the Eagles used nine hurlers.

Sunday's starter, Naut Kragt (4-5), was the last of them in Friday's tilt and gave up a game-winning RBI single to Schifftner with the bases loaded and one out in a two-run Hounds ninth.

The teams combined for 50 hits, 27 by OC. Clough had a three-run triple in the first, an RBI groundout in the second, a grand slam in the third and a run-scoring single in the seventh.

Third baseman Jaren Hill blasted a grand slam in the seventh to give OC a 16-15 lead.