Hounds walk off No. 1 Angelo State to earn split

It’s been a while since Eastern New Mexico University’s baseball team has beaten Angelo State.

Down to their final out, the Greyhounds tied the second game of Friday’s Lone Star Conference and season-opening doubleheader against the Rams on an RBI triple by junior first baseman Beau Preston, who then scored the game-winner on a wild pitch for a 4-3 victory and a split at Greyhound Field.

The Rams, defending NCAA Division II champions and ranked No. 1 in the preseason, came from behind to win the first of the two seven-inning contests 5-3. The teams were scheduled to complete the four-game set with nine-inning single tilts on Saturday and Sunday.

The second-game win ended a 21-game losing streak against ASU for the Hounds, who had not beaten the Rams since posting a 7-4 victory on May 10, 2018 in the LSC tournament at Canyon, Texas.

The teams combined for just seven hits in the nightcap, including only two for Angelo State.

Junior shortstop Willie Ponce went 2-for-3 for the Hounds, including a two-run triple in the bottom of the first. Angelo quickly grabbed the lead in the second when junior shortstop Justin Harris followed a pair of walks with a three-run home run, and it stayed that way until the stunning finish.

Junior left-hander Luciana Terilli, the third ENMU hurler, struck out the only two batters he faced to earn the win after playing left field most of the contest. Junior right-hander Adrian Rubio left after three innings, allowing one hit but walking five while striking out five.

Junior right-hander Griffin Almond then worked into the seventh, allowing just one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.

Senior right-hander Braxton Pearson, who retired 17 in a row at one point for ASU, took the complete-game loss despite striking out 10 with no walks.

In Game 1, ENMU scored a pair of unearned runs in the first before the Rams tied it in the third on an RBI groundout and junior first baseman Tayten Tredaway’s run-scoring single.

Angelo went ahead three in the fifth on RBI doubles by senior catcher Tripp Clark and Tredaway around a run-scoring wild pitch. ENMU got one back in the sixth on Terilli’s RBI groundout.

Junior right-hander Dan Darth struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings to notch the win. ENMU junior righty Gavin Perry suffered the loss, allowing four runs and six hits with six strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

Tredaway went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for the Rams, who outhit ENMU 8-6. Clark finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while junior center fielder Austin Beck was 2-for-4 and scored twice.

Ponce went 2-for-3 and scored twice for ENMU while junior catcher Daniel Pruitt also finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.