4/9/2022 | Baseball | Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LUBBOCK, TEXAS – An emphatic 16-1 win for Eastern New Mexico baseball earned a split of a doubleheader against #23 Lubbock Christian University. The Chaps took game one by a 20-2 score line. The Hounds improve to 15-20 on the season, along with a 14-19 LSC record. The Chaparrals now have a 26-11 standing on the season and 24-11 in conference play.

GAME ONE: LCU 20, ENMU 2

The Chaparrals jumped on the board in the first inning of action with a solo homerun to take a 1-0 lead. The home team came back for more in the second frame. The Hounds thought they had exited the inning with a bases loaded jam, but a wild pitch on a strikeout extended the inning, scoring a run 2-0 LCU. After that, eight more runs scored including a grand slam for LCU, holding a 10-0 advantage after two innings.

Eastern scored its first run in the third inning after Jack Thompson and Jorge Colon reached base to start off the third. After both runners moved over one base, Camden Matthews brought Thompson home with a sacrifice fly to center field. LCU added to its lead in the bottom of the inning, with three runs to hold a 13-1 advantage.

In the remainder of the game, the Chaps added seven more runs while Eastern picked up a run on a Nick Schifftner sacrifice fly, scoring Dax Edmonds in the sixth inning. The final score read 20-2 LCU.

NOTABLE STATS

  • The Hounds were held to three hits on the day with both runs scoring from sacrifice fly’s. Edmonds, Hamilton, and Schifftner were responsible for the hits, while Schifftner and C. Matthews able to post RBI’s.
  • Damian Acosta is handed the loss being responsible for 10 runs in 2.0 innings. James Romero, Robert Nidy, and Reed Carter all took the hill in the game.
  • Ethan Coombes pitched a complete game for the Chaps allowing three hits and two runs.

GAME TWO: ENMU 16, LCU 1

Eastern started immediately with the bases loaded in the first three batters. Schifftner moved a run across the plate for the games first run with a walk, 1-0. Spencer Roach followed an ripped a double into the gap, clearing the bases for a 4-0 lead. In in continued with Sammy Williamson and Andres Quintana both singling, with Quintana’s base hit sending Roach home. With a runner on third and first, Quintana swiped second base and after the ball got away from the shortstop, Williamson took home and Quintana advanced to third. Braeton Matthewsdelivered single to push Quintana home as Eastern racked up seven runs in the opening inning, 7-0.

The Chaps replied with one run in the bottom of the first, but that would be all they would find in the inning. Eastern picked up a run in the fourth frame after Cooper Hamilton scored on a wild pitch, 8-1. ENMU put the game away in the sixth inning with their bats.

With the bases loaded and one out, Eastern scattered six hits in seven batters to score eight runs in the inning. B. Matthews doubled with the bases loaded to plate the first two runs of the inning. C. Matthews followed with a two-RBI single to right field, pushing the score to 12-2. Edmonds kept the hits going with a double to right, and Schifftner reached on an error scoring another run. Roach returned to the plate for the second time in the inning and posted a single sending two runs to the plate. The Hounds scoring ended with Williamson sending Roach to the plate with a double down the left field line to make the score 16-1.

The Hounds defense held on the rest of the way to hand the Chaps its largest defeat of the season, 16-1.

NOTABLE STATS

  • The Hounds out-hit the Chaps 16-6, scoring 16 runs with 13 RBIs. Each Hound in the lineup reached base in the game, with eight Hounds recording hits.
  • B. Matthews had a career afternoon, going 4-5 at the plate with two doubles and three RBIs. C. Matthews and Williamson recorded three hits on the afternoon, while Roach finished with two hits and five RBIs.
  • Ruger Bravo tossed a complete game in the win, allowing just one run in the first inning and recording seven strikeouts. Even though allowing six hits, Bravo didn’t allow a hit with bases runners on.
  • Shandon Herrera is charged with the loss failing to record an out, while giving up seven runs on four hits with three walks.

FROM THE SOURCE

“In game one, a few calls didn’t go our way from the get go and they took fll advantage and things snowballed into big innings for them,” said Head Baseball Coach Riley Price. “With the wind blowing out against a power based offense combined with free bases mixed in, the game got out of hand” said Price. “For game two, I challenged our hitters to stay middle and stay disciplined and that’s exactly what we did. We ran the bases well and we competed in the box all game,” said Price. “(Ruger) Bravo does we he does best and threw an absolute gem. We wanted to make sure they fought for everything they got and had to earn their way on base” said Price. “Really proud of how we responded after losing game one big and had a lot of guys step up. Need to take care of business tomorrow and get after them early again” said Price.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

  • Eastern’s 16-1 win is the first win against the Chaps since 2015, and the first time the Hounds beat LCU in Lubbock since 2002.
  • The win marks the first time ENMU has beaten the Chaps in a conference game and winning by 15 runs is the largest margin of victory of the season and in series history (also the largest defeat for LCU this season). Winning by 15 runs is the largest margin of victory since 2018, when ENMU beat Calmunt of St. Joseph 25-6.
  • 16 runs are the most runs allowed by LCU at home in the all-time series and second most all-time for a single game.
  • Beating the #23 Chaps, marks the first win against a nationally ranked program since 2017, when Eastern took down #4 Angelo State, based on available record.
  • Eastern posted a season best 13 RBIs and tied a season best mark of 16 hits (most hits in a seven-inning game this season).
  • On the mound, Bravo posted his third consecutive complete game and now has three consecutive wins when making an appearance.
  • At the plate, B. Matthews set a career high for hits (4) and RBIs (3) in a single game, while Roach tied a career mark of five RBIs in a game.
  • The Hounds play the final game of the series tomorrow, Apr. 10, with first pith scheduled for 12 p.m. (MST).