Athletic Report
March 2, 2002

EASTERN NEW MEXICO RALLY FALLS SHORT AS JAVELLINAS DEFEAT GREYHOUNDS, 4-3
KINGSVILLE, TX – Eastern New Mexico University scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning, but left the tying run at second base, as Texas A&M University-Kingsville edged the Greyhounds, 4-3, in the final game of a 3-game Lone Star Conference series, Mar. 2 at Nolan Ryan Field. TAMU-Kingsville improved to 10-10 overall and 2-4 in the LSC South, as the Javelinas won the series two games to one. ENMU dropped to 6-12, 5-4 in the LSC South.

TAMUK took an early 4-0 lead with two runs in each of the first two innings. The Javelinas recorded 3 hits in both innings, but garnered just 3 more hits the rest of the way. With two outs in the first inning, Bryan Shippey singled and Rudy Rendon walked. Chris Mash also singled, and Shippey scored on the play on an error by ENMU third baseman Steven Romano (Jr., Las Cruces, NM/Onate H.S.).

Mike Aguirre singled, scoring Rendon from third base. In the second inning, Aaron Higginbotham singled to center field, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Gunn. Denzil Davis singled and stole second base, putting runners at second and third. Following a pop up, Shippey doubled, scoring Higginbotham and Davis.

The Greyhounds were scoreless until the fourth, when they cut one run from TAMUK’s lead. Dallas McMann (Jr., C/DH, Amarillo, TX/Randall H.S.) singled through the left side with one out. Franco Barrero (Jr., 1B, Laredo, TX/Laredo J.C.) walked, but Luz Leal, Jr. (Jr., DH/OF, Laredo, TX/Alexander Magnet H.S.) struck out.

Chris Hill (Jr., 2B, Boise, ID/Scottsdale C.C.) walked, loading the bases. Aaron Dunn (So., OF, Carlsbad, NM/N.M. Military Institute) also walked, as he received Eastern’s fourth free pass of the inning. McMann scored on the play. Neither team score again until the top of the ninth, when ENMU battled to force an extra inning.

Mark Wallace (Fr., CF, Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo H.S.) opened the stanza with a single, then moved to second base when McMann singled to right field. Relief pitcher Juan Obregon entered the game for Kingsville, and struck out the next two batters. With two outs, Hill singled to right field, where the ball was misplayed, allowing Wallace and McMann to score. Hill advanced to second on the play.

Chris Fudge (Jr., C, Carlsbad, NM/N.M. Military Institute) replaced Hill as a pinch runner. Obregon struck out Dunn to end the game. TAMUK outhit ENMU by a 9 to 8 margin. The Greyhounds, however, walked 10 times, while the Javelinas were issued just one base on balls. Even so, ENMU scored only 3 runs, as the Greyhounds struck out 16 times and left 14 runners on base.

Cody Thomas, the starting pitcher for TAMUK, improved to 4-2. He threw 5 1/3 innings, and struck out 11 batters. He gave up 5 hits and 6 walks. Kingsville led 4-1 when he left the game. Reliever Aaron Smith was credited with Eastern’s final two runs. He gave up 2 hits, struck out 2 batters and walked 4 batters in 2 2/3 innings of work. Obregon, who earned 3 strikeouts in the ninth inning, recorded his third save of the season.

Stan Phelps (Jr., RHP, New Boston, TX/Richland College) started for ENMU. He threw the first six innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) and giving up 7 hits. He registered one strikeout, walked one batter and fell to 0-2 on the season.

Ryan Hess (So., RHP, Surrey, BC/Langley Fine Arts School) and Gabe DeHoyos (Sr., RHP, Artesia, NM/Trinidad J.C.) each pitched one scoreless inning. McMann, who went 5 of 7 at the plate on Friday, May 1, as the teams split a double-header, continued his offensive success in the final game of the series. He went 4 for 4 at the plate, and scored 2 of Eastern’s 3 runs. Hill was 2 of 4 and Wallace was 2 of 5 for ENMU.

Shippey recorded 2 hits in 4 at bats for TAMUK. His double in the second inning was the only extra-base hit of the game. Mash also was 2 of 4 at the plate for the Javelinas.

ENMU returns to action on Wednesday, Mar. 6, with a pair of 7-inning games at New Mexico Highlands University.First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 noon (MST). Eastern hosted Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Mar. 9 and Sunday, Mar. 10 in a four-game non-conference series. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. (MST) on Saturday and 12:00 noon (MST) on Sunday.