Cameron Downs ENMU, 5-2 and 3-0, to Complete Sweep of Weekend Series
Greyhounds Fall to 16-12 on the Season

Box Score - Game 3 - CU 5, ENMU 2
Box Score - Game 4 - CU 3, ENMU 0

PORTALES, N.M. — Art Gonzales and L.J. Willis each threw a complete game for visiting Cameron University on Saturday, Mar. 18, as the Aggies swept a double-header from Eastern New Mexico University, 5-2 and 3-0, at Greyhound Field. The wins allowed Cameron to sweep the four-game Lone Star Conference crossover series, leaving the Aggies with a 12-13 overall record. ENMU, which has lost eight consecutive games, fell to 16-12 overall.

Gonzales gave up just six hits in the opener and did not allow a run until there were two outs in the seventh inning. Willis tossed a six-hit shutout in the second game, while holding the Greyhounds without an extra-base hit. Both pitchers recorded three strikeouts for the Aggies. Gonzales improved to 3-3, while Willis upped his record to 1-2.

In the opener, Cameron took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Waylon Pettet reached on an error to start the game, then stole second. Blake Hughes walked and B.J. Cole reached on a fielder’s choice, as Hughes was thrown out at second. Pettit scored on the play when ENMU second baseman Mike McDuffie (Jr., 2B, Albuquerque, NM/Sandia HS) threw the ball wide of first base while attempting to turn a double play. John Herbert followed with a single, but consecutive ground outs ended the inning.

The Aggies put up two more runs in the third. Hughes singled and Cole walked with one out, then Herbert recorded his second single of the game to drive Hughes across the plate. Cole scored on a sacrifice fly by Greg Patton.

Two more runs in the fourth inning gave CU a commanding 5-0 lead. The Aggies earned three hits during the stanza, including a two-RBI single by Hughes.

Eastern was down to its final out of the game when the Greyhounds scored both of their runs. Matt Hinojosa (Sr., SS, Baytown, TX/Laredo CC), who walked to open the seventh, was still at first two fly outs later, but moved to third on a single by McDuffie. Kelton Hayes (Jr., DH, Guthrie, OK/Northlake CC) belted a double to right field to bring home both runners.

Stephen Lopez-Barela (Fr., SS, Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo HS) pinch-ran for Hayes, but was stranded at second when Gonzales forced Brian Green (Sr., C, Fountain Hills, AZ/Central Arizona College) to ground out to Trey Chambers at shortstop. Hayes and Green each went 1 for 3 during the game.

Six players provided one-hit apiece for the Greyhounds, while Pettet, Hughes and Herbert each registered a pair of hits for Cameron. The Aggies recorded eight hits in the game, including seven singles in six innings off starter Evan Courteau (Jr., RHP, Minneapolis, MN/Rochester Community and Technical College). Courteau fell to 3-3 with the loss. ENMU reliever Evan Orsak (Fr., RHP, Andrews, TX/ Andrews HS) gave up one single and no runs in the seventh.

In the second game, Willis threw 84 pitches (65 strikes) in the shutout. He did not allow a walk and forced Eastern to leave six runners on base. He received a 2-0 lead when Herbert drove in Pettet and B.J. Cole with a single to left field in the top of the first. The single was CU’s only hit of the stanza, as Pettet was hit by a pitch and Cole walked. Both runners advanced on a balk, before scoring on Herbert’s single.

The Aggies added one run in the fifth inning. Hughes singled with one out, then covered the final three bases on a double by Cole. Neither team scored the rest of the game.

ENMU matched Cameron with six hits, but the Greyhounds had no extra-base hits during the game. Eastern left one runner on base in the first, third, fourth and seventh innings, and left two runners on base in the second.

Cole, Herbert and Chambers each pounded out a double for Cameron during the game. Herbert finished the contest 2 for 3 at the plate and was the only player with more than one hit for the Aggies. Green went 2 for 3 for the Greyhounds.

Eastern’s starter, Jeff Roemer (Jr., RHP/1B, Woodbury, MN/Rochester Community and
Technical College), threw four innings with two strikeouts and two walks. He dropped to 3-1 with the loss. Charlie Ward (Jr., RHP, Roswell, NM/Trinidad State JC) gave up one run and two hits in the fifth, while Keith Balderaz (So., RHP, Monahans, TX/Monahans HS) tossed two hitless and scoreless innings for ENMU to end the game.

The Greyhounds are off until Friday, Mar. 24 and Saturday, Mar. 25, when they are scheduled to play a four-game series at the University of Central Oklahoma. Friday’s double-header starts at 12 p.m. MST, with first pitch in Saturday’s twinbill set for 11 a.m. MST.