Athletic Report
April 14, 2001

JONES’ HOMER IN BOTTOM OF 9TH
SENDS ENMU TO 5-4 WIN OVER WTAMU
Hounds Wins Second Game of Double-Header, 19-13
PORTALES, NM — Senior center fielder David Jones (Sierra Vista, AZ/Eastern Arizona College) hit a solo home run to left field with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Eastern New Mexico University defeated West Texas A&M University, 5-4, in the first game of a double-header, Apr. 14 at Greyhound Field. Jones added an inside-the-park homer in the second game, helping ENMU take a 19-13 victory to sweep the twinbill.

ENMU improved to 24-24 overall, and moved into third place in the Lone Star Conference South Division with a 9-12 record. WTAMU dropped to 22-23, 8-15 in the LSC South.

Despite winning both games, ENMU was eliminated from the LSC Tournament race, as Texas A&M-Kingsville clinched the final berth with a double-header sweep of Tarleton State. ENMU can still tie TAMUK for second place, but the Javelinas hold the tie-breaker with a 4-2 record against the Greyhounds.

Gabe DeHoyos (Jr., RHP, Artesia, NM/Trinidad J.C.), Eastern’s starter in the opener, gave up just 4 hits over the first six innings. In the seventh, DeHoyos, who has battled a groin injury all season, gave up an RBI triple by Richard Cruce, plus three walks, a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch. Two errors by ENMU also contributed to WTAMU’s 3-run outburst.

Tim King (Sr., RHP, Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) replaced DeHoyos with two outs in the inning. King walked one batter, then Brian Evans singled to right field. Marcus Glass, already on second prior to the pitching change, tried to score, but was thrown out at the plate by Andy Hostetler (Sr., OF, Albuquerque, NM/Valley H.S.).

Hostetler also threw out a runner in the fifth inning. Cruce doubled to center to start the stanza, and later attempted to score on Ben Hangartner’s single to right. Hostetler threw straight to catcher Dallas McMann (So., Amarillo, TX/Randall H.S.) who applied the tag at the plate.

WTAMU center fielder Bryant Cook returned the favor in the seventh, throwing out Eddie Jimenez (Sr., 3B/2B, Tucumcari, NM/N.M. Military Institute) at the plate. Jones, who singled on the play, advanced to second on the throw. He scored the tying run when Jeff Zipser (Sr., 2B, Las Vegas, NV/Victor Valley College) singled up the middle. Tim Lybarger hit a bunt single to start the eighth inning. He eventually scored on a single by Bill Potts, giving WTAMU a 4-3 lead. Luz Leal, Jr. (So., OF/P, Laredo, TX/Alexander Magnet H.S.) singled for ENMU in the bottom of the eighth. Matt Sulli (Jr., OF, Carlsbad, CA/San Diego Mesa College) drove in Leal with the tying run on a two-out triple to right center.

Matt Brown (Sr., 1B/C, Napa, CA/Diablo Valley College) started a double play in the top of the ninth. He caught Evans’ bounding ball, touched first base, then threw to Xarin Escobedo (Jr., SS, Mexico City, MEX/El Paso C.C.), who tagged out Hladky for the final out of the inning. Escobedo flied out to right field to start the bottom of the ninth.

Three pitches later, Jones blasted the game-winning homer, as the Greyhounds edged the Buffaloes, 5-4. Relief pitcher Jerry Macias (So., RHP, Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces H.S.) improved to 5-2 with the win. Jason Mann, who threw the entire game for WTAMU, fell to 6-5.

West Texas scored twice in the first inning of Game #2, but ENMU tallied three runs in the bottom of the stanza. Jones’ inside-the-park homer started the inning for ENMU. Zipser followed with a solo homer to left field, and McMann drove in the third run with a triple. Potts hit a grand slam in the second inning, giving the Buffs a 6-3 advantage. West Texas also led 8-4 before ENMU scored the next 11 runs. McMann hit RBI doubles in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and Sulli provided a 2-RBI double in the fifth.

The Hounds plated three runs in the third, added two in the fourth, and exploded for six in the fifth. The Buffaloes took a huge bite out of ENMU’s 15-8 lead by scoring five times in the sixth. Hangartner, who hit his 14th homer of the season in the first inning, started the sixth with a single. He later scored on a 2-RBI double by Travis Denson.

Three other players drove in one run apiece during the inning. Zipser hit his second homer of the game — a 2-run shot to left field — to lead a 4-run outburst by the Greyhounds in the bottom of the sixth. The inning also featured a leadoff triple by Escobedo, an RBI double by Leal, and an RBI single by Sulli.

Rich Thomas (Jr., RHP, Albuquerque, NM/Trinidad J.C.), 4-1, was credited with the win. Cory Barker (Sr., RHP, Kelseyville, CA/Medicino J.C.), pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to earn his second save of the season. Starter Michael Kopenits fell to 3-3 for West Texas A&M.

Leal and McMann both led Eastern with 4 hits in 4 at bats during the second game. Leal scored a game-high 5 runs and drove in 2 runs. McMann added 2 runs and 4 RBIs. Sulli was 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs, and Zipser went 3 for 5 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs. McMann was 6 for 7 with 6 RBIs on the day. Leal was 5 for 6 and scored 6 runs.

Both teams produced 11 hits in the opener, but ENMU outhit WTAMU, 20-15, in Game #2.

ENMU remains at home on Tuesday, Apr. 17, for a double-header against New Mexico Highlands University. The action is set to get underway at 4:00 p.m. (MDT) at Greyhound Field.