Athletic Report
March 19, 2001

GREYHOUNDS TIE SCHOOL RECORD WITH 6 HRs
IN 21-10 VICTORY OVER WEST TEXAS A&M
CANYON, TX — Franco Barrero (So., 1B/3B, Laredo, TX/Laredo J.C.) and Dallas McMann (So., C, Amarillo, TX/Randall H.S.) each hit 2 home runs, as Eastern New Mexico University tied a school record with 6 homers overall, in a 21-10 Lone Star Conference victory over West Texas A&M University, Mar. 17 in Canyon, Texas.

ENMU improved to 13-17 overall and to 6-6 in the LSC South. WTAMU dropped to 16-14 on the season, 5-7 in the LSC South.

Jeff Zipser (Sr., 2B, Las Vegas, NV/Victor Valley College) and Andy Hostetler (Jr., OF, Albuquerque, NM/Valley H.S.) each added a homer for ENMU. The Greyhounds, who led 20-3 after 7 innings, recorded 24 hits in the game. Eastern New Mexico scored in every stanza accept the third inning.

Although the final numbers indicated a combined 31 runs and 38 hits by the two teams, ENMU starter Rich Thomas (Jr., RHP, Albuquerque, NM/Trinidad J.C.) pitched effectively throughout his 7 innings on the mound. Despite the cold weather — mid to upper 30s — Thomas struck out 4 batters and gave up just 8 hits (7 singles, 1 double). He allowed three runs, but only one run was earned. Thomas improved to 2-0 with the victory.

The Hounds plated two runs in the top of the first inning for an early lead. Luz Leal, Jr. (So., DH/OF, Laredo, TX/Alexander Magnet H.S.) hit a two-out double, and Barrero followed with the game’s first home run over the left field fence. McMann hit his first homer of the game with two outs in the second inning. His solo shot to left field gave the Greyhounds a 3-0 lead.

Matt Sulli (Jr., OF, Carlsbad, CA/San Diego Mesa College) walked and McMann singled to start the fourth inning, setting up Hostetler, who pounded a 3-run homer to right field. Zipser singled to shortstop and Sulli recorded an RBI double down the left field line to start the fifth inning.

The Greyhounds held a 7-0 lead. WTAMU scored its first run in the bottom of the fifth on singles by Tim Lybarger, Rich Cruce and Ben Hangartner. Lybarger scored the run on Hangartner’s two-out single to center. Hangartner was 3 for 6 during the game, including a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth. Cruce finished 4 for 6 with 2 runs and an RBI. Lybarger was 3 for 5 with 3 runs and an RBI.

Barrero hit his second homer, a blast to right field, with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the sixth. Zipser also homered during the inning, scoring not only himself, but also Steven Romano (So., 3B, Las Cruces, NM/Onate H.S.), who singled up the middle.

ENMU added 5 runs in the seventh inning for a 15-1 lead. Hostetler achieved the key hit of the inning on a triple to right center field that scored two runs. Leal added a double during the inning.

An error with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, helped WTAMU score twice. The error left the bases loaded, allowing Cruce to score when Marcus Glass was hit by a pitch. Brian Evans scored the next run on a similar play when Bill Potts was hit by a pitch.

Ryan Dickson (Jr., 1B, Trail, BC/Big Bend C.C.) drove in 2 runs with a pinch-hit single to left field and Xarin Escobedo (Jr., SS/2B, Mexico City, MEX/El Paso C.C.) brought in another run with a single to right center, as ENMU tallied 3 runs in the eighth.

The Buffaloes answered with Hangartner’s grand slam in the bottom of the inning. He hit the homer to left field on the first pitch he received from reliever Ryan Hess (Fr., RHP, Surrey, BC/Langley Fine Arts School), who threw the final two innings for ENMU.

The Greyhounds concluded their scoring onslaught with 3 runs in the ninth inning. McMann drove in the first two runs with his second homer of the day. Escobedo, who doubled with two outs, scored Eastern’s final run when Hostetler singled to right center.

WTAMU also scored three times in the ninth. Lybarger, Cruce and Evans each supplied an RBI single during the stanza. Charlie Griffin, the starting pitcher for West Texas A&M, allowed 6 runs in 3 2/3 innings, and fell to 3-3 with the loss. Overall, the Buffaloes used five pitchers during the game.

Zipser led ENMU with 4 hits in 5 at bats. He scored 3 times and drove in 3 runs. Hostetler was 3 for 7 at the plate, with 3 runs and 6 RBIs. He tied the school record for at bats in a game, and finished one RBI short of the ENMU record for RBIs in a game. Barrero was 3 for 5 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs, while Leal went 3 for 5 with 2 runs and 1 RBI.

McMann was 3 for 5, scored 5 runs and recorded 3 RBIs. He needed one more run to tie the ENMU single game record.

Eastern New Mexico does not play again until next weekend’s LSC South series against Abilene Christian University, which leads the LSC South at 8-4. ENMU and ACU are slated to play one 9-inning game at Greyhound Field on Friday, Mar. 23, at 2:00 p.m. (MST), followed by a pair of 7-inning games on Saturday, Mar. 24, at 12:00 noon (MST).