After Tarleton took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Eastern hung a four-spot on the Texans to claim a commanding lead. DeLaCruz, Villalona, Villalobos and Webster alternated walks and singles to load the bases. McNicholl followed with a two-run single to right center to take the lead. Chris Padilla singled through the left-side of the infield chased the Texans starter from the game.
ENMU would extend the lead in the bottom of the second on a two-run single from Webster before both pitching staffs settled in and kept both sides off the scoreboard.
In the fifth and sixth, the Texans would string together five runs, capped by Francisco Rodriguez’s three-run home run in the sixth after Webster blasted a moonshot to left in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Greyhounds lead to one, 7-6.
With the game hanging in the balance, Velarde came up clutch in the top of the seventh. With one out, Velarde plunked Jose Reyes to put the tying run aboard. After a stolen base and a groundout to the right-side, Austin Call stepped into the box with the game-tying run 90-feet from the dish. Ahead in the count, 1-2, Velarde blew a fastball by Call to ice the game and secure the win for the Greyhounds.
The Greyhounds return to the diamond tomorrow for the series finale against Tarleton State. First pitch with the Texans is tabbed for 1 p.m. on Sunday. For all the latest news on ENMU athletics, follow @ENMUBaseball and @ENMUAthletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
-Eastern New Mexico University-
Baseball
Will Edwards
