Athletic Report
March 30, 2002

GREYHOUNDS FALL TO JAVELINAS 5-0 IN FINAL GAME OF WEEKEND SERIES
PORTALES, NM – Aaron Smith threw a complete-game two-hitter to lead Texas A&M University-Kingsville to a 5-0 victory over Eastern New Mexico University, in the third game of a Lone Star Conference weekend series, March 30 at Greyhound Field. ENMU, which won the first two games of the series, fell to 14-23 overall and to 8-10 in the LSC South. TAMU-Kingsville improved to 15-24, 4-11 in the LSC South.

Smith faced just 30 batters in the 9-inning game. He gave up singles to Mark Wallace (Fr., CF, Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo H.S.) in the first inning and Franco Barrero (Jr., 1B/DH, Laredo, TX/Laredo J.C.) in the second. In both cases, the next batter hit into a double play. Smith allowed two walks, hit one batter and struck out three.

The TAMUK defense turned four double plays. The Javelinas broke a scoreless tie with one run in the third inning. Aaron Higginbotham started the inning with a single, but was thrown out at second when Justin Willis hit into a fielder’s choice at third base. Willis moved to third on a single to right field by B.J. Griffith, then scored on a ground out to short by Pablo Ramazzini. Griffith stole third, but Bryan Shippey hit another grounder to shortstop to end the inning. TAMUK added another run in the fourth inning, then closed out the scoring with three runs in the sixth.

The fourth-inning run was scored by Chris Mash, who tripled to right field with one out. He scored one out later on a single by Lee Rodriguez. In the sixth inning, the Javelinas used two hits, a walk, an error and a double steal to increase their lead to 5-0. Mash, who reached third base on a 3-base error by right fielder Aaron Dunn (Jr., OF, Carlsbad, NM/N.M. Mil. Inst.), eventually scored on a double steal.

Rodriguez, who walked, advanced to second on the play. Higginbotham then plated Rodriguez with a single to left field. The Javelinas finished the scoring when Higginbotham came home from first on a double by Willis. Eastern advanced a runner to third base just once during the game.

In the seventh inning, Dallas McMann (Jr., C/DH, Amarillo, TX/Randall H.S.) walked with one out. He advanced to second when Barrero was hit by a pitch, then moved to third when Chris Hill (Jr., 2B, Boise, ID/Scottsdale C.C.) sent a grounder back to the mound. Smith forced Luz Leal, Jr., (Jr., OF/LHP, Laredo, TX/Alexander Magnet H.S.) to fly out to left field to end the inning.

The Javelinas concluded the game with nine hits, including two each by Griffith, Rodriguez, Higginbotham and Willis. TAMUK’s first four spots in the order went a combined 2 of 18 on the day, but the final five positions in the order went 7 of 18 and supplied 3 RBIs. Mash hit the game’s lone triple, while Griffith and Willis earned the game’s only doubles.

Stan Phelps (Jr., RHP, New Boston, TX/Richland College) gave up 9 hits and 5 runs in six innings of work. Only two of the runs against Phelps were earned. He registered one strikeout and one walk. Reliever Ryan Hess (So., RHP, Surrey, BC/Langley Fine Arts School) pitched one shutout inning, while Trevor Davis (Fr., RHP, Evergreen, CO/Evergreen H.S.) pitched two innings without allowing a run. Phelps fell to 1-5 on the season.

The Greyhounds, 3-1 so far in a nine-game homestand, host Wayland Baptist University on Tuesday, April 2, in single 9-inning game. First pitch at Greyhound Field is set for 6:00 p.m. (MST). ENMU will close out the homestand with double-headers against Oklahoma Panhandle State University on Saturday, April 6, at 4:00 p.m. (MST) and Sunday, April 7, at 1:00 p.m. (MST).