Greyhounds Fall to Tarleton State in First Game of Series, 5-4, on Grand Slam in Eighth Inning
Texans Sweep Double-Header with 9-2 Win in Game #2

Box Score - Game #1 - TSU 5, ENMU 4
Box Score - Game #2 - TSU 9, ENMU 2

STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS — Eastern New Mexico University led Tarleton State University, 4-1, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning in the first game of their four-game Lone Star Conference series on Friday, April 14, but Ryan Howard hit a grand slam for
the Texans before the inning was over, as TSU won 5-4. The Texans swept the double-header with a 9-2 victory in the second game. Tarleton State moved to 15-29 on the season, including 4-6 in the LSC South. ENMU dropped to 21-25, 3-7 in the LSC South.

ENMU starter Kelly Crain (Sr., Gordon, TX/Gordon HS) allowed just two hits, a single and a solo homer, in the first seven innings. He gave up another single to open the eighth inning, but recorded two consecutive outs on a strikeout and a fly ball to left field. Keith Peacock then singled through the left side, and Crain was relieved by Charlie Ward (Jr., RHP, Roswell, NM/Trinidad State JC).

Ward hit the next batter, Roland Robles, with a pitch. The second batter Ward faced was
Howard, who belted a grand slam home run over the fence in left center. It was Howard’s 11th homer of the season.

In the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Micah Bernhardt (Sr., 2B/3B, Gypsum, CO/Arapahoe CC) provided ENMU with a one-out single, but Brian Green (Sr., C, Fountain Hills, AZ/Central Arizona College) flight out to right field and Justin Gee (Sr., RF, Clovis, NM/Clovis HS) struck out to end the game.

TSU reliever Jeremy Roberts, who pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for the Texans, earned the win, as he recorded his first decision of the season. Ward fell to 5-2 with the loss.

Eastern opened the scoring with a single run in the fifth inning. Clayton Young (Fr., SS/OF, Canyon, TX/Canyon HS) singled with one out. He scored later in the inning, on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Green.

The Texans tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, as Chris O’Bryan belted his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left center. ENMU countered with three runs in the seventh for a 4-1 lead. Gilbert Alvarado (Sr., LF, Roswell, NM/New Mexico State University) drove in one run with a single, while Green plated the other runs with a double.

In the second game, Eastern took a quick 1-0 lead, when Alvarado tripled with one out in
the first inning, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Green. TSU, however, scored the next nine runs, with two in the bottom of the first inning, plus three in the second and four in the third.

Both of Tarleton’s runs in the first were scored on sacrifice flies, as Charles Desmarais flew out to center field to score Keith Peacock and Roger Saldana flew out to right field to score Robles. In the second stanza, Peacock hit a three-run homer. In the fourth inning, Tyler Maytum brought home one run with a double to center. With two outs in the inning, Peacock belted his second three-run homer of the game.

Tarleton State outhit ENMU, 12-3, in the nightcap. Peacock was 3 for 4 with three runs scored and six RBIs. Robles also went 3 for 4 and scored once. Three players each recorded one hit for the Greyhounds, with Mike McDuffie (Jr., 2B, Albuquerque, NM/Sandia HS) providing Eastern’s second run on a homer to right center to open the seventh inning.

Brandon Gowins threw all seven innings for TSU. He struck out six batters, allowed no walks and improved to 4-5 on the season.

Eastern starter David Swinconos (Sr., LHP, Lubbock, TX/Frenship HS) fell to 0-5 with the loss. He allowed five runs, while facing 10 batters. Evan Orsak (Fr., RHP, Andrews, TX/Andrews HS), ENMU’s third pitcher during the game, tossed three innings and gave up just two singles and no runs.

The Greyhounds and the Texans will complete the series with another double-header on Saturday, April 15. Game time for the first game is set for 11 a.m. MST.