Baseball Wins ENMU Opener

April 6, 2008

PORTALES, N.M. – Southwestern Oklahoma State University won the first game in its weekend baseball series with Eastern New Mexico but was unable to break through again losing the remaining three games to the Greyhounds. SWOSU’s 8-4 win in the opener was followed by 13-5, 9-8 and 17-1 losses in the the games that followed. 

SWOSU is now 9-27 overall and 7-24 in the Lone Star Conference. The Bulldogs will begin their next series at home Friday against defending conference champion Angelo State at 3 p.m.

 In Friday’s opener, Travis Long had his second straight solid outing on the mound and this time the Bulldogs backed him offensively with 16 hits in an eight-run effort. Long improved to 1-5 on the year going seven innings, allowing just two hits and two runs, both of which were unearned. He struck out four and walked one before yielding to Nathan Perez to close out the final two innings.

Kenny Hare and Daniel Castillo each had RBI singles in a three-run second that saw the Bulldogs climb in front. Castillo ended the game going three-for-four with a run scored while Hare collected two hits and scored once himself.

ENMU got within one run at 3-2 before SWOSU put the Greyhounds away with a four-run seventh inning. Dakota James and Dakota Streber each drove in a pair of runs with singles as the Bulldogs pulled in front 7-2.

 In Saturday’s first game, the Bulldogs got behind 7-0 after two innings and never recovered. Hare and Chris Morrison each homered as the Bulldogs managed 10 hits but stranded eight base runners against ENMU.

In the nightcap Saturday, SWOSU looked in good shape early leading 7-0 after two and one-half innings. However,  ENMU got six in the third and sent the game into extra innings tied at 8-8 with a run in the bottom of the seventh. The Greyhounds won it 9-8 on a walk-off homer by Daniel Kennedy with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

The heartbreaking loss on Saturday did’t set well the following day as the Bulldogs were bounced 17-1 in a run-rule shortened game after seven innings. SWOSU’s single run came in the seventh on an RBI single by Caleb Cole.