Game Recap: Baseball | 2/23/2020 5:34:00 PM | Zac Alfers
Eastern New Mexico baseball fell just short in a high-scoring 13-8 loss against Tarleton State Sunday afternoon despite hitting two big homeruns.
Leftfielder Blake Carter finished with his best performance to date, scoring two runs, drawing a pair of walks and hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the seventh. Centerfielder Malcolm Smith got the long ball party started and plated Eastern’s first runs of the game with a two-run shot to left field in the fifth frame.
On the mound, the Greyhounds went to right hander Joel Torres who turned in a quality start after tossing five innings of two hit, two run ball. Torres allowed one walk and struck out five with 19 batters faced to cap off a very impressive outing.
Torres ran into a little trouble in the top of the fourth and allowed a two-run RBI double before posting a perfect three-up three-down inning with a strike out and a pair of fly outs the following frame. The Hounds answered with Smith’s round tripper to tie the ball game at 2-2 in their next trip to the plate
The Tarleton bats started to heat up in the later innings as Torres was relieved by junior Liam Sabiston. Following two runs in the sixth and another three in the seventh, the Texans regained their lead and held an 8-7 advantage as the Hounds came up for their half of the frame.
Shortstop Daniel Hunt led off the inning with a double to deep left center that sparked a huge six-run inning for the Greyhounds. With the bases loaded and one down in the inning, designated hitter Jude Perea and third baseman Ross Montoya drew back-to-back walks to trim the deficit to three.
The stage was set as Carter stepped into the box and quickly worked the at bat to a 3-2 count. The Texans pitcher threw a fastball middle-in that Carter teed up and drilled down the left field line for his first collegiate homerun as the Green and Silver took an 8-7 lead in dramatic fashion.
Despite Carter’s heroics, Tarleton responded with six more runs in the final two innings of play as the Texans closer held the Hounds to just two base runners over the course of their last six outs.
The High Plains squad will pack their bags next weekend and head to Fort Smith, Ark. as they take on the UAFS Lions in a four-game series starting on Friday at 2 p.m.
