Hounds rally for 6-5 win over Falcons

Ruger Bravo found himself in an unusual position on Friday night.

With no relief appearances since his freshman season in 2022, Bravo came in from the bullpen in the sixth inning charged with protecting a one-run lead in the opener of a key four-game Lone Star Conference series against Texas-Permian Basin.

The senior left-hander allowed no runs over four two-hit innings, and the Greyhounds held on for a 6-5 victory at Greyhound Field.

The teams were scheduled for two seven-inning tilts on Saturday. They’ll complete the series with a 1 p.m. nine-inning contest today.

With six weeks remaining in the season, ENMU (14-13, 12-13 LSC) and UTPB (13-16, 13-16) were among six teams bunched within two games of each other from fifth through 10th place in the standings heading into the weekend. The top eight squads reach the LSC’s postseason tournament.

For a couple of years, Bravo has been the Hounds’ starter in one of the seven-inning games of Saturday doubleheaders. He’s had some ups and downs this season, though, so ENMU coach Riley Price went a different route with him.

“It was definitely an adjustment,” Bravo said. “But you’ve just got to get our there and play for the team.”

He said he wasn’t aware of the score or the fact the Hounds were trying to protect a one-run lead.

“To be honest, I wasn’t even paying attention (to the score),” he said. “I just got the ball and threw it.”

Junior right-hander Gavin Perry (5-2) gave up five runs to the first six hitters of the game, capped by a three-run homer from Falcons third baseman Gibrian Pena, but settled in and completed five innings to win his fifth consecutive start.

ENMU got one back in the first on catcher Daniel Pruitt’s RBI single, then touched up UTPB right-hander Trevor Barth (2-3) for five runs in the fourth. Barth came in with a 7.70 earned run average and averaging less than four innings over his first seven starts, but he went seven in this one and was effective except for the one frame.

A key was the Hounds throwing out four Falcons runners on the bases. Bravo got a pickoff at first in the seventh inning, Pruitt gunned down two would-be base stealers and left fielder Luciano Terilli threw out a runner trying to go first to third in the opening inning, limiting the damage in that stanza.

“They’re a good team,” Price said of the Falcons. “We did a good job of minimizing (their attack) after the first inning.

“I’m really proud of Gavin for keeping his head after the first inning. Really, I thought Ruger brought out kind of a closer’s mentality.”

UTPB outhit the Hounds 11-9, with leadoff man Jack Haggerty and right fielder Ethan Flodstrom both collecting three hits while Pena and first baseman Austin Hall each went 2-for-3.

Eight players hit safely for the Hounds, led by junior shortstop Willie Ponce, who was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, scoring twice and driving in a run.