Athletic Report
February 19, 2002

GREYHOUNDS DEFEAT WAYLAND BAPTIST, 16-9
Mark Wallace is 4 for 5 with a 3-Run Homer
PLAINVIEW, TX – Mark Wallace (Fr., CF, Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo H.S.) went 4 for 5 with a 3-run homer, and Ryan Hess (So., RHP, Surrey, BC/Langley Fine Arts School) shut down Wayland Baptist University over the final four innings, as Eastern New Mexico University defeated the Pioneers, 16-9, Feb. 19 at Wilder Field. ENMU, which lost two games to the Pioneers in WBU’s final at bat earlier this season, improved to 3-9 overall. Wayland Baptist dropped to 3-5.

The Greyhounds previously fell to the Pioneers during the Broken Bat Tournament at the Dilla Villa in Amarillo, Feb. 10-11. Wayland Baptist edged Eastern, 4-3 in nine innings, in the first meeting, and scored three times in the seventh inning for a 3-2 win in the second game. In the most recent meeting, ENMU fell behind 6-2 and 9-6, before the Greyhounds gradually took control of the contest.

Eastern tallied four runs in the fourth inning to tie the game, 6-6. The inning featured back-to-back homers, as Wallace launched his 3-run shot to left field, and Dallas McMann (Jr., C/DH, Amarillo, TX/Randall H.S.) followed with a solo homer to right center. WBU moved ahead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but never scored again.

The Greyhounds tallied one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to tie the game, then took the lead when Chris Hill (Jr., 2B, Boise, ID/Scottsdale C.C.) led off the seventh inning with a solo homer to center field. ENMU scored another run in the seventh, when Xarin Escobedo (Sr., SS, Mexico City, Mexico/El Paso C.C.) got in a run-down between first and second, allowing Steven Romano (Jr., 3B, Las Cruces, NM/Onate H.S.) to score from third. Wallace’s 2-RBI single highlighted the eighth inning, as the Hounds added four more runs. Romano hit an RBI single and Escobedo pounded out an RBI double during the inning.

Eastern also scored once in the ninth, with Luz Leal, Jr. (Jr., OF/LHP, Laredo, TX/Alexander Magnet H.S.) crossing the plate when Hill received a bases-loaded walk. Hess earned his first win of the season (1-0). He held the Pioneers scoreless and allowed 3 hits, all singles. He faced 13 batters - one over the minimum for 4 innings - and did not allow a walk. Hess received double plays from the ENMU defense in the 6th and 7th innings.

Eastern also turned a double play in the 5th, when Stan Phelps (Jr., RHP, New Boston, TX/Richland College) gave up two hits but did not allow a run, starting a string of five consecutive scoreless innings for WBU. The Pioneers sent just 17 batters to the plate in the final 5 innings. Wayland’s offense had success early in the game, as the Pioneers tallied four runs in the first inning to take a 4-1 lead. Two of the runs scored on Brandon Wilson’s home run to left center.

Robert Mendoza hit an RBI double and Felix Castillo provided an RBI single during the inning. Ryan Dickson (Sr., 1B/DH, Trail, BC/Big Bend C.C.) of ENMU, who went 4 for 5 with 3 doubles, scored on Romano’s sacrifice fly in the second inning, as the Hounds pulled to within 4-2. WBU answered Eastern’s run when Brad Wuensche walked and scored on a triple by Josh Milner down the right field line in the bottom of the stanza. Grady Sanders smacked a solo homer to right field in the third inning, giving the Pioneers a 6-2 lead. Wallace and Dickson tied for the ENMU lead with 4 hits apiece.

In addition to belting his first collegiate homer, Wallace pounded out two doubles, scored two times and earned 6 RBIs. Dickson crossed the plate twice, but hit all three doubles with the bases empty. Hill was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs. Matt Sulli (Sr., OF, Carlsbad, CA/San Diego Mesa College) was 3 for 6 and scored once.

Escobedo finished the game 2 for 4 with a double, 4 runs scored and an RBI. Romano, McMann and Franco Barrero (Jr., 1B, Laredo, TX/Laredo J.C.) each went 2 for 6 for ENMU.Romano scored 3 times and drove in 2 runs. McMann tallied one run and provided one RBI, while Barrero recorded one RBI for the Hounds. ENMU achieved 23 hits overall.

Wayland Baptist received 3 hits in 4 at bats from Sanders and James Garrett. Wuensche was 2 for 3 with 3 runs and 2 walks. Sanders, Milner, Mendoza and Wilson each recorded 2 RBIs. The Pioneers totaled 17 hits during the game, including five for extra bases, but had just 5 hits - all singles - in the final five innings.

The Greyhounds return to action with a three-game Lone Star Conference South Division series at Greyhound Field this weekend against Abilene Christian University. ENMU and the Wildcats will play two 7-inning games on Friday, Feb. 22, starting at 1:00 p.m. (MST).

The teams will conclude the series with a single 9-inning game on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 12:00 p.m. (MST). Abilene Christian was 10-0 heading into a non-conference double-header with Dallas Baptist University this afternoon. The Wildcats were leading the LSC South at 3-0, with ENMU in second place at 2-1.