Athletic Report
April 6, 2001

ENMU SWEEPS COLLEGE OF THE SOUTHWEST
Stewart Throws 3-Hitter in Opener
PORTALES, NM — Senior left-handed pitcher Chris Stewart (Albuquerque, NM/ Manzano H.S.) threw a complete-game, 3-hit shutout, as Eastern New Mexico University defeated College of the Southwest, 1-0, in the first game of a double-header sweep by the Greyhounds on Friday, Apr. 6. ENMU won the second game, 11-2, as Xarin Escobedo (Jr., SS/2B, Mexico City, Mexico/El Paso C.C.) and David Jones (Sr., OF/SS, Sierra Vista, AZ/Eastern Arizona College) each hit a solo home run for the Greyhounds.

The wins upped Eastern’s overall record to 18-23. The Hounds have won 5 of their last 6 games. College of the Southwest fell to 10-24 on the season.

In the second game, ENMU starting pitcher Greg Stimack (Sr., RHP, Lakewood, CO/ J.K. Mullen H.S.) put the finishing touches on a tremendous comeback from injury. Stimack missed all of the 2000 season after breaking the humerus bone in his right arm, and sustaining a completely torn rotator cuff, in a summer league game in late May, 1999. Stimack previously received a medical redshirt for an elbow injury in 1997.

This past fall, the NCAA granted Stimack a 6th season to complete his eligibility. He entered Friday’s game with a 0-3 record in 7 appearances, including 3 starts. In the second game against CSW, he threw the first six innings, and allowed just 5 hits and 2 runs. Both runs came in the sixth inning, on solo homers by T.J. Anson and Grady Shaffer.

The only run in the first game was scored by ENMU in the bottom of the first inning. Jones hit a leadoff single, then advanced to second on a single by Jeff Zipser (Sr., 2B, Las Vegas, NV/Victor Valley College). Dallas McMann (So., C, Amarillo, TX/Randall H.S.) followed with a line drive to first base that Anson caught and turned into a double play. Franco Barrero (So., 1B/3B, Laredo, TX/Laredo J.C.), the next batter, drove in Jones with a single up the middle.

ENMU managed just 3 more hits during the rest of the game, but Stewart’s solid pitching enabled the Hounds to keep their one-run lead. Stewart limited the Mustangs to two singles and one double, while recording 6 strikeouts and allowing no walks.

The best scoring opportunity for CSW came in the 7th inning, when Ramon Flores opened the stanza with a double to center field. Greg Taylor pinch-ran for Flores, but was thrown out at third by Stewart, who fielded Ash Roan’s bunt between the mound and the third base line. Roan reached first on the play, then stole base. A wild pitch on the same play as the steal, allowed Roan to reach third.

McMann threw wildly on the throw to third, and Roan tried to score. He fell several yards past down the third base line, and was thrown out at home by Escobedo. Flores of CSW was the only player in the first game with more than one hit. He was 2 for 3 with one double. Six players recorded one hit each for ENMU. Steven Romano (So., 3B, Las Cruces, NM/Onate H.S.) earned Eastern’s only extra-base hit, a double in the 5th inning.

In the second game, the Greyhounds took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jones opened the stanza with a single to center. Zipser hit a bunt single, and McMann recorded an infield hit toward short. Jones scored when Andy Hostetler (Jr., OF, Albuquerque, NM/Valley H.S.) was hit by a pitch, and Zipser scored when Luz Leal, Jr. (So., DH/OF, Laredo, TX/Alexander Magnet H.S.) reached on a fielder’s choice. The Hounds added one run in the third inning, then tallied four runs in the fourth stanza. Escobedo homered to left field to start the inning.

One out later, Jones homered to left center. McMann and Hostetler each added an RBI single later in the inning. Four more runs in the fifth inning completed Eastern’s scoring. Escobedo drove in one of the runs with a double down the left field line. The other runs scored on an RBI single by Eddie Jimenez (Sr., 3B, Tucumcari, NM/N.M. Military Institute) and sacrifice flies by Zipser and Hostetler. Stimack gave up the homers by Anson and Shaffer in the sixth, but completed the inning.

Cory Barker (Sr., RHP, Kelseyville, CA/Mendicino J.C.) struck out one batter and gave up one walk, while facing four batters in the seventh inning. Jones was 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored for ENMU.

Zipser went 2 for 2 with 2 runs and an RBI, while Escobedo was 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Hostetler was 1 for 2 and drove in 3 runs. Anson went 2 for 2 for the Mustangs.

ENMU plays double-headers at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla., on Saturday, Apr. 7 and Sunday, Apr. 8. The Greyhounds will return home for two games against Wayland Baptist University on Tuesday, Apr. 10.