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Athletic Report
March 22, 2002

ACU TAKES CONTROL OF LSC RACE WITH DOUBLE-HEADER SWEEP OF ENMU
Greyhounds Remain in Battle for Second Place
ABILENE, TX – Abilene Christian University scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge Eastern New Mexico University, 4-3, in the first game, then defeated the Greyhounds, 6-1, in the nightcap, to sweep a Lone Star Conference double-header, Friday, Mar. 22 at Crutcher Scott Field.

ACU, ranked #23 in NCAA Division II, improved to 25-7 on the season, including 10-3 in the LSC South. ENMU dropped to 9-21 overall, 6-8 in the LSC South. ACU moved out to a 3-game lead atop the LSC South standings.

West Texas A&M remained in second place, but fell to 7-6 after losing a pair of games at Tarleton State, also on Mar. 22. TSU improved to 7-7, by sweeping the double-header with the Buffaloes, 5-1 and 3-1. With 10 games remaining on its LSC schedule, ENMU trails Tarleton State by one game for third place and West Texas A&M by 1 1/2 games for second place.

The top two squads from the South Division will qualify for the LSC Tournament, Apr. 25-27.Eastern is still slated to play a 3-game series at West Texas A&M (Apr. 12-13) and a 3-game series at Greyhound Field against Tarleton State (Apr. 19-20). The Greyhounds held down Abilene Christian’s potent offense for nearly all of the first game.

Stan Phelps (Jr., RHP, New Boston, TX/Richland College), who threw the entire game for ENMU, gave up just 5 hits over the first six innings, but the Wildcats mustered 4 hits in the seventh. ACU took a 1-0 lead when Clay Chesser singled with two outs and scored on a double by Chris Churchill.

ENMU evened the score in the top of the second, with Franco Barrero scoring the run on a two out single by Mark Wallace (Fr., CF, Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo H.S.). Barrero originally reached base on single with one out. Eastern New Mexico moved in front, 2-1, when Matt Sulli (Sr., OF, Carlsbad, CA/San Diego Mesa College) singled and later scored in the third inning. Sulli reached second base when Chris Hill (Jr., 2B, Boise, ID/Scottsdale C.C.) singled. He then advanced to third when Dallas McMann (Jr., C/DH, Amarillo, TX/Randall H.S.) hit into an error by the shortstop. Sulli scored on a passed ball with two outs. Hill and McMann were in scoring position, but ACU starter Scott Buffington got Barrero to fly out to end the inning.

The Hounds extended their lead to 3-1 with three singles in the top of the seventh. Xarin Escobedo (Sr., SS, Mexico City, MEX/El Paso C.C.) recorded a hit to start the inning. Sulli struck out, but Hill singled. McMann also registered a base hit, and Escobedo scored from second. Brad Massey replaced Buffington on the mound, and he intentionally walked Ryan Dickson (Sr., 1B/DH, Trail, BC/Big Bend C.C.) to load the bases. Barrero hit into a double-play at shortstop.

Abilene’s rally in the bottom of the seventh began with a single by Massey, who was already in the lineup before going to the mound (he started at third base). Creighton Bryan reached base on an error at shortstop, as Massey moved to third. Blake Hughes followed with a base hit to fill the base paths. Massey was thrown out at home when Oscar Vargas hit a ground ball to Steven Romano (Jr., 3B, Las Cruces, NM/Onate H.S.). Louis Munoz singled to score Bryan, and Chesser hit a 2-RBI single to bring home Hughes and Vargas with the tying and winning runs.

ENMU outhit ACU, 10-9, in the opener. Hill was 3 of 4 for the Greyhounds, while Barrero went 2 for 4 and Escobedo was 2 for 3. Chesser led the Wildcats with 3 hits in 4 at bats. Massey, who improved his pitching record to 3-0, was 2 for 3 at the plate. Phelps fell to 0-4 after taking the loss for the Greyhounds.

Shawn Brooks pitched a complete game for ACU in the nightcap. He struck out 7 batters, allowed just 5 hits (4 singles) and allowed 2 walks. He upped his record to 2-1 on the season. Vargas gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead, when he was hit by a pitch to lead off ACU’s half of the first inning, then reached second on a passed ball and scored on a single by Churchill.

ENMU tied the game with two outs in the third, as Escobedo singled and Sulli provided an RBI double. It was Eastern’s only run of the game, as Brooks gave up just 3 hits the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Wildcats plated three runs in the third inning and solo runs in the fourth and fifth stanzas.Churchill, who finished the game 3 for 3 with a run and 3 RBIs, hit a 2-RBI single in the third inning. Munoz drove in Massey with a single in the fourth stanza, while Churchill singled, stole second and reached home on a single by Brandon Stover in the fifth.

ACU scored its six runs on just seven hits. Only one hit, a triple by Juan Cartagena at the start of the third inning, went for extra bases. The Wildcats also benefited from three ENMU errors, including two in the third inning. Kevin Hull (Jr., RHP, New Braunfels, TX/Richland College), fell to 2-4 with the loss. He was credited with allowing 5 earned runs, but struck out 6 batters and allowed just 2 walks.

The ENMU offense was led by Sulli, who went 1 for 2 with a double and the Hounds’ only RBI. Four other players supplied Eastern with one single apiece. ENMU and ACU will conclude the 3-game series on Saturday, Mar. 23. Game time is slated for 11:00 a.m. (MST).