Central Oklahoma Defeats ENMU, 4-3 and 9-1, as Greyhounds' Losing Streak Reaches 10 Games
UCO Holds Eastern to 11 Hits in Double-Header

Box Score - Game 1 - UCO 4, ENMU 3
Box Score - Game 2 - UCO 9, ENMU 1

EDMOND, OKLA. — The University of Central Oklahoma swept a double-header from Eastern New Mexico University, 4-3 and 9-1, on Saturday, Mar. 25 at Broncho Field, as pitchers Brett Case and Cameron Karner combined for a six-hitter in the first game and Jesse McDough and Chad Ashley tossed a five-hitter in the second game. UCO improved to 16-10 with the Lone Star Conference crossover wins. ENMU fell to 16-14 on the season. The Greyhounds have lost 10 games in a row.

Case threw the first 4 2/3 innings in the opener. He struck out four batters, but gave up all three ENMU runs, while allowing five hits and four walks. Karner threw the final 2 1/3 innings and allowed just one hit to go with four strikeouts and two walks. In the second game, McDough went six innings, as he held Eastern to an unearned run and five singles. Chad Ashley threw the final inning.

Senior catcher Brian Green (Fountain Hills, AZ/Central Arizona College) was the only ENMU player with more than one hit in the same game. He was 2 for 3 in the opener, with a two-out, two-run homer in the fourth inning and a single to lead off the sixth.

Green’s home run tied the game 2-2, but UCO moved back in front with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Brandon Bacon scored when Bryan Belford was thrown out at second on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice. Bryce Columbus, who doubled following Bacon’s lead-off single, scored one batter after the fielder’s choice, when Dustin Dailey reached first on an error.

The Greyhounds cut the lead to a single run when Derrick Kennedy (So., 3B, San Antonio, TX/G.W. Brackenridge HS) singled with two outs in the fifth inning to drive in Gilbert Alvarado (Sr., LF, Roswell, NM/New Mexico State University). The Bronchos’ 4-3 lead held up, as only one more hit was recorded, on a double by Tim Sullivan of UCO in the bottom of the sixth.

In the second game, Eastern was able to move a runner past second base only once, but it led to the Greyhounds’ lone run. With two outs in the sixth, Alvarado walked following a full count. He advanced to second on a single by senior shortstop Matt Hinojosa (Baytown, TX/Laredo CC), reached third on a fielder choice and scored when Justin Gee (Sr., RF, Clovis, NM/ Clovis HS) hit into an error by Belford at shortstop.

By the time Alvarado scored, UCO had achieved an 8-0 lead. The Bronchos produced the game’s final run in the bottom of the fifth, as Sullivan pounded out a lead-off double, stole third and scored on a ground out by Miguel Moctezuma

UCO connected for 11 hits during the game, including four that went for extra bases. In addition to Sullivan’s double, the Bronchos also received doubles from Moctezuma and Bacon, while Doug Yarholar broke a scoreless tie with a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning. The four-run stanza began with a single to right field by Moctezuma and continued with bunt singles from Dailey and Derec Norman to load the bases for Yarholar.

Central Oklahoma tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning. Moctezuma doubled, reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Dailey to start the inning. Dailey was thrown out at home later in the inning, but the Bronchos scored two runs on a double by Bacon down the left field line and added another run on a single by Bradon Blackburn.

Case improved to 4-1 on the season with the win in Game #1, while Karner registered his first save. McDough upped his record to 5-2 in second game. ENMU’s starter in the first game, Kelly Crain (Sr., RHP, Gordon, TX/Gordon HS) fell to 3-4, while Seth Clabaugh (Fr., LHP, Portales, NM/Angelo State University), who started the second game, dropped to 0-3.

The Greyhounds and the Bronchos are scheduled to play another double-header on Sunday, Mar. 26. Action in the first contest is set to begin at 12 p.m. MST.