PORTALES, NM — Levi Shandrew and Elijah Cappello allowed just one hit over the final four innings of play as the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team (14-11; LSC 0-5) nearly erased a 6-2 deficit in Thursday night’s Lone Star Conference series opener. The Hounds send eight batters to the plate in the seventh inning to plate three runs, but Cameron (12-16; LSC 2-3) held on for a 6-5 victory at Greyhound Baseball Field.
In the Series
Despite the setback, the Hounds are 20-19 at home against the Aggies
Cameron leads the overall series 56-35
In the Game
ENMU had base hits in each of the first two innings, a single from Alex DelaCruz and a double from garland Webster
Cameron starter Gaige Vines thwarted ENMU’s quick start at the plate with pickoffs in each of the first three innings
The Aggies capitalized on two hits and an error to seize a 2-0 lead in the top of the third
Colton Adams added a RBI single in the fourth to extend CU’s lead
DelaCruz led off the Greyhound fourth with a double and scored on Endy Villalona’s one-out single
Villalona manufactured a second in with a stolen base, which led to a throwing error, before he scored on a failed pickoff attempt
Micah Kaaukai had a RBI single followed by a two-run single from Adam’s two-run single to give Cameron a 6-2 advantage
Padilla and Paul Tapia had base hits for the Hounds during the three-run rally in the seventh, which saw eight batters come to the plate
DelaCruz plated Malcolm Smith with a ground out to second base to pull ENMU within 6-5
Skyler Henderson tossed 2.2 hitless innings of work for the Aggies to garner the save
In the Numbers
DelaCruz had two hits for ENMU
Shandrew and Cappello combined for four innings, 42 pitches and just one hit allowed
Adams drove in three runs for Cameron
Up Next
The teams will continue the series on Friday with a doubleheader
The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
