Sunday, March 29, 2015
PORTALES, N.M. — For the first time in Eastern New Mexico baseball history, the team took 3-of-4 games from Angelo State University with a 5-2 win in the series finale on Sunday.
While the Greyhounds (8-18, 5-11 LSC) have taken 2-of-3 games twice in their series history with the Rams (20-10, 10-9 LSC), they have never been on the winning side of a four game series with Angelo State. The win puts the Greyhounds back in race for the No. 4 spot in the Lone Star Conference tournament at the end of the season.
Starting pitcher
Clyde Kendrick (Jr., Vicksburg, Miss. / Holmes Community College) made his first start after missing some time due to an injury, pitching four innings and recording four strikeouts. The junior gave up two early runs to the Rams, but that deficit was quickly erased as the Greyhounds scored four runs in the next four innings to take a 4-2 lead heading into the top of the fifth inning.
Zach Shank (R-Fr., Gallup, N.M. / Oklahoma Baptist University) came in as relief in the fifth inning and finished out the game with five shutout innings, earning the win to put him at 1-1 overall for the season. Shank gave up four hits, no runs and struck out one batter.
The redshirt freshman earned his first win of the season and now has 5.2 consecutive shutout innings under his belt. He currently holds a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings of work on the year.
Dylan Nault (R-Jr., Anaheim, Calif. / Cypress College) and
Chad Highberger (Sr., Concord, Calif. / Los Medanos College) each recorded two hits in the game and ENMU finished with eight hits compared to their opponents 7. Nault and
Justin Paul (Jr., Papillion, Neb. / Highland Community College) each had two RBIs in the contest tying for the team high.
Nault now has the longest active hitting streak on the team with six consecutive games with at least one hit. Paul leads the team with the most multiple RBI games, sitting at six on the season.
The Greyhounds will travel to Lubbock, Texas, March 31, to take on Lubbock Christian University before heading to Stephenville, Texas, to face off against Tarleton State University. ENMU had to cancel their first scheduled series at home against the Texans due to weather and this will be the first time the two teams will have met this season.