4/3/2022 | Baseball | Box Score

PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico baseball scored a season high seventeen runs during a 17-12 victory over St. Mary’s University on Sunday afternoon at Greyhound Baseball Field. With the win, Eastern takes the series 3-1 over St. Mary’s. The Hounds improve to 14-18 on the season with a 13-17 conference record. St. Mary’s move to 12-22 overall and 10-22 in LSC play.

Both teams wasted no time to score runs as the Rattlers posted two runs in the first inning, 2-0 StMU. The Hounds responded in the next half inning with two runs. Cooper Hamilton reached on a walk with two outs and stole second to move into scoring position. Nick Schifftner sent him to the plate with a double to right center. The next batter, Spencer Roach singled to centerfield to tie the game at 2-2after the first inning.

Eastern took its first lead of the game in the second inning, after an RBI triple from Camden Matthewsscored Andres Quintana, 3-2 ENMU. However, a solo homerun in the next half inning tied the game at 3-3. The see-saw game continued as a run in the bottom of the third tipped the score in favor of the Hounds 4-3. After Hamilton tripled to start the inning, Schifftner knocked him home with a ground out.

St. Mary’s asserted themselves in the next half inning, scoring four runs to take a 7-4 lead. Eastern go a run back in the bottom of the fourth to make the contest 7-5. With the bases loaded after two walks and a single, Jorge Colon scored on a wild pitch. The Rattlers went back to the bats and came up with two more runs for a 9-5 advantage going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Hounds would unleash its bats in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Dax Edmonds reached base on a single to keep the inning alive. Three consecutive walks followed, and allowed Edmonds to score, 9-6 StMU. Then, a past ball and a wild pitch invited two more runs to score to Eastern, and now trailed 9-8. Sammy Williamson put a ball in play which was mishandled by the third baseman and allowed a run to score home from third. Eastern’s scoring didn’t stop there, as Schifftner singled with the bases loaded to take a 11-9 lead. Roach followed with a double and two more Greyhounds came around to score, for a 13-9 advantage. Overall, in the inning, ENMU scored eight runs from three hits and four walks.

After a quick top of the sixth inning, the Greyhounds score another two runs for a 15-9 advantage. Both runs came across on a wild pitch after Quintana and Colon both reached. Eastern added more insurance runs in the eight innings, after two two-out singles scored a run each. As the Hounds held a 17-9 lead going into the final inning. St. Mary’s mustered three runs in the final frame, but the Hounds walked away with a 17-12 victory.

NOTABLE STATS

  • The Hounds produced 17 runs on 13 hits with 12 RBIs and 10 walks. Each batter for the Hounds reached safely during the game, and eight different batters scored a run in the contest.
  • Schifftner lead the group at the plate going 3-5 with four RBIs. Roach finished 2-5 at the dish with three RBIs. C. Matthews and Braeton Matthews each picked up two hits during the game.
  • Tommy Perez gets the win in 3.1 innings in relief. Perez finished with five hits, and two runs allowed. Dalton Thatcher started the game giving up seven runs (two earned runs) from seven hits. Javier Luna finished the game in 2.1 innings pitched, giving up three runs on two hits.
  • The Rattlers used six different pitchers in the game, with Dylan Bells taking the loss allowing four runs (all unearned) in a third of an inning.

FROM THE SOURCE

“Really big win today and even bigger to take 3 out of 4 on the weekend,” said Head Baseball Coach Riley Price. “(Dalton) Thatcher didn’t have his best stuff today and a few errors behind him didn’t help, but (Tommy) Perez came in long relief and did a good job at minimizing while our bats started to come alive. (Javier) Luna came in late to relieve Perez with good stuff to keep them off balance just enough to hold them off just enough to hold them at bay,” said Price. “Not a clean game by either team, but really proud of how we came back from behind and stayed disciplined in our at bats. Always nice seeing us score in multiple innings and especially with a lot of runs coming with two outs,” said Price. “We need to have a focused week of practice as we look forward to battling LCU on the road next weekend,” said Price.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

  • 17 runs in the most runs for the Greyhounds this season, along with a tied season high in RBIs with 12.
  • The Hounds posted the most runs in a game during the Riley Price era, and the most since a 25-6 win over Calumet St. Joseph.
  • The all-time series between the two programs is 11-9 in favor of the Rattlers. The Greyhounds picked up its first conference series win against St. Mary’s in program history.
  • Eastern New Mexico head to Lubbock Christian University next weekend for a set of four games. The series opener is scheduled for Friday, Apr. 8, with a first pitch of 5 pm.