Athletic Report
April 10, 2001

GREYHOUNDS SWEEP DOUBLE-HEADER
FROM WBU PIONEERS, 3-0 AND 7-5
ENMU Sets School Record with 8-Game Winning Streak
PORTALES, NM — Eastern New Mexico University extended its winning streak to a school-record 8 games, as the Greyhounds swept a double-header from visiting Wayland Baptist University, 3-0 and 7-5, on Tuesday, Apr. 10 at Greyhound Field. With the victories, ENMU improved to 22-23 on the season. Wayland Baptist fell to 23-18-2.

The win was ENMU’s 8th in a row, giving the Greyhounds a new school record. Eastern’s previous record for consecutive victories was seven, set between Mar. 16 and Mar. 21 in 1996.

In the opener, starter Jerry Macias (So., RHP, Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces H.S.) of ENMU gave up 4 hits — all singles — in 6 innings on the mound. He struck out 3 batters, allowed 2 walks and improved to 4-2 overall. Chris Stewart (Sr., LHP, Albuquerque, NM/Manzano H.S.) pitched the seventh inning, struck out 2 batters and recorded his first save.

ENMU scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. Andy Hostetler (Sr., OF, Albuquerque, NM/Valley H.S.) singled up the middle with one out. Ryan Dickson (Jr., DH/1B, Trail, BC/Bend C.C.) followed with a single, advancing Hostetler to third base. Hostetler scored when Xarin Escobedo (Jr., SS/2B, Mexico City, MEX/El Paso C.C.) grounded out to shortstop.

The Greyhounds added two insurance runs in the third inning. David Jones (Sr., OF/SS, Sierra Vista, AZ/Eastern Arizona College) reached first base on an error with one out. The next batter, senior second baseman Jeff Zipser (Las Vegas, NV/Victor Valley College), hit a triple down the right field line, scoring Jones. Zipser scored one out later, when Franco Barrero (So., 1B, Laredo, TX/Laredo J.C.) singled to center field.

Eastern finished the game with just 6 hits, but 3 hits went for extra bases. Zipser was 2 for 3 with a double and a triple, and Barrero finished 2 for 3 with a single and a double. The Hounds also played solid defense and did not commit an error. WBU made 2 errors during the game.

In the second half of the double-header, the Greyhounds scored once in the first inning and three times in the third to build a 4-0 lead. The run in the first was scored by Hostetler, who singled with two outs, stole second, and reached home on a double by Barrero. Hostetler drove in Zipser with a triple in the third inning, and later scored when Barrero homered to left field.

Wayland Baptist pulled within 4-1 on a solo homer by Steven Quezada in the fourth inning, but the Greyhounds tallied three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to increase their lead to 7-1. Hostetler doubled to start the fifth inning, then scored on a triple by Barrero.

Later in the inning, Matt Sulli (Jr., OF, Carlsbad, CA/San Diego Mesa College) tripled to center field and scored on a single by Matt Brown (Sr., C, Napa, CA/Diablo Valley College). Brown eventually scored when Escobedo reached base on a throwing error by the pitcher.

The Pioneers closed the deficit to two runs by scoring four times in the top of the sixth. Sal Marquez and J.J. Peirce received back-to-back walks with one out. Marquez scored when Josh Utter singled to left field. The ball was misplayed allowing Peirce to also score on the play. Quezada drove in Marquez with a single up the middle and later scored on a wild pitch.

ENMU starter Greg Stimack (Sr., RHP, Lakewood, CO/J.K. Mullen H.S.) earned a total of 6 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 5 runs and 7 hits, with nearly all of WBU’s offense coming in the 6th inning. Stimack was credited with the win, and improved to 2-3 on the season. Tim King (Sr., RHP, Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) recorded his second save of the season by striking out 2 batters in the final 1 1/3 innings.

Barrero, Hostetler and Sulli led the ENMU offense, which piled up 15 hits in the second game. Barrero was 4 for 4 with 2 doubles, a triple and a homer to go with 4 RBIs. Hostetler added 3 hits in 4 at bats, including a double and a triple. He scored 3 times and earned 1 RBI. Sulli was 3 for 3 with a triple and a run scored. Quezada was the only WBU player with more than one hit in the nightcap. He was 2 for 3 with a homer, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 runs.

ENMU returns to Greyhound Field on Friday, Apr. 13 and Saturday, Apr. 14 for a Lone Star Conference 3-game series against West Texas A&M University. The Greyhounds and the Buffaloes will play one 9-inning game on Friday at 2:00 p.m. (MDT), followed by two 7-inning games on Saturday at 12:00 noon (MDT).

Eastern defeated West Texas in 2 out of 3 games at WTAMU, Mar. 16-17.