Greyhounds Receive Great Pitching in
Double-Header Sweep of Southwestern Oklahoma
Crain Stikes Out 10, Swinconos Earns Shutout

Box Score - Game 1 - ENMU 3, SWOSU 1
Box Score - Game 2 - ENMU 10, SWOSU 0

PORTALES, N.M. — Kelly Crain (Jr., RHP, Gordon, TX/Gordon HS) struck out 10 batters in a complete-game victory in the opener, and David Swinconos (Jr., LHP, Lubbock, TX/
Frenship HS) threw a two-hit shutout in the second game, as Eastern New Mexico University swept a double-header from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 3-1 and 10-0, on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Greyhound Field. The Lone Star Conference crossover wins improved ENMU to 10-12 on the season. SW Oklahoma ended the night with an 8-14 overall record.

Crain held the Bulldogs to five hits, including one hit after the fourth inning. He struck out the first two batters of the game and the lead-off batter in the second stanza. Later, he closed out the game by fanning seven of the last eight batters, including all three batters in the seventh. His 10 strikeouts were a career high, but fell four short of the ENMU record (14), set by Mark Jackson against Wayland Baptist on Mar. 3, 1993.

Swinconos recorded three strikeouts and shut down every SWOSU batter except catcher
Matt Machinski, who belted two doubles for the Bulldogs’ only hits in the second game. The Hounds made several spectacular catches on defense and did not commit an error, as Swinconos threw just 79 pitches, with 48 going for strikes.

Crain improved to 3-4 on the season, while Swinconos improved to 2-0. ENMU’s pitchers kept the ball near the plate most of the night, as Crain gave up one walk and Swinconos allowed just two walks. Gunner Poff (4-1) of SWOSU lost for the first time in 2005, despite limiting Eastern to five hits in the opener. Colby Tackett (0-1) took the loss in the second game.

While Crain and Swinconos were stellar on the mound, Bryan Moore (Sr., 2B, Wolfforth, TX/Howard College) was sparking Eastern’s offense. He was involved in all three runs in the first game, as he singled and scored in both the first and sixth innings, and drove in the other run on a ground out in the third.

Josh Kuchta (Sr., SS, Clovis, NM/Clovis HS) hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Moore to second in the first inning of the opener. Moore went to third on a ground out by Brett Scherer (Sr., 3B/P, Ingram, TX/Midland College), then scored on a double steal after first baseman Mark Wallace (Jr., Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo HS) walked.

In the third inning, Micah Bernhardt (Jr., LF, Gypsum, CO/Arapahoe CC) led off with a triple. He scored when Machinski, who played first base in the opener, was forced to field Moore’s chopper down the line. Machinski tossed the ball to Poff for an out at first, as Bernhardt reached home safely.

SWOSU registered its only run in fourth. Machinski walked and Tanner Dewald singled to open the stanza. Dewald advanced to second when Machinski was thrown out 1-4-5 on a pick-off move to second. Wes Bamburg followed with a double to right field to score Dewald and cut Eastern’s lead to 2-1.

After Moore singled in the sixth inning, Kuchta hit a sacrifice bunt that Poff fielded and threw to second, but Moore beat the throw. Scherer moved Moore to third on another sacrifice bunt, before Wallace brought him home on a sacrifice fly to left center.

The Hounds exploded for four runs in the first inning of the second game. Wallace hit an infield single with one out and runners at first and third. Kuchta scored on the play, then two errors allowed Scherer to cross the plate, with the second error also sending Wallace to second. Derrick Kennedy (Fr., CF, San Antonio, TX/G.W. Brackenridge HS) singled to plate Wallace, then scored as well two batters later on a single by Tyler Brown (Jr., C, Aurora, CO/Arapahoe CC).

Eastern tacked on a pair of runs in the second inning for a 6-0 lead. Gee, who doubled to start the stanza, scored on a single by Moore. With two outs, Moore went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a throwing error by the catcher. He scored on a triple by Scherer.

Moore was 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI in the second game, and finished the double header 4 for 7 at the plate. He also made a diving catch with his body fully extended in Game #2, grabbing a line drive just inches off the infield dirt to start a double-play in the seventh inning.

Single runs in the fourth and fifth innings extended ENMU’s advantage to 8-0. Kuchta had an RBI on the run in the fourth, and Brian Green (Jr., DH/C, Fountain Hills, AZ/Central Arizona College) hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the run in the fifth. Eastern completed the scoring with runs by pinch-hitter Jose Meza (Jr., 1B, Gypsum, CO/Arapahoe CC) and Kuchta in the sixth.

Machinski earned his second double to lead off the seventh for the Bulldogs, then Dewald walked on a 3-2 pitch. Moore provided his diving catch when Bamburg hit a sinking shot between first and second. After snagging the ball, Moore threw out Dewald who was unable to tag up. Garion Davenport flew out to right field to end the game.

In addition to Moore, the Hounds received solid offense from Kennedy, who was 3 for 6 on the night, including 2 for 3 in the second game. Bernhardt went 1 for 2 in each games, while Scherer provided a 2-for-3 performance with one run and an RBI in the second contest. Bamburg was 2 for 3 with an RBI for SWOSU in the opener.

The Greyhounds and Bulldogs are slated to play another double-header at Greyhound Field on Sunday, Mar. 20. Game time for the first contest is set for 1 p.m. MST.