Portales, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team was swept 9-7 and 13-4 (seven innings) by the University of Central Oklahoma in a Lone Star Conference double-header on Saturday, April 19, at Greyhound Field. The losses dropped the Greyhounds’ overall record to 21-25 and their LSC record to 14-21. The Bronchos improved to 32-18 overall and 23-15 in the LSC.

Both teams’ bats began game one hot as UCO scored twice in the first inning against ENMU starter Evan Orsak (Jr., RHP, Andrews, Texas/Andrews HS). Eastern’s bats cut the two-run deficit in half, scoring one run on two hits off Bronchos’ starter Kyle Head as Tyler Hayes (Sr., 2B, Houston, Texas/Hastings HS) drove-in Jonathon Marbury (Sr., CF, El Paso, Texas/Ranger College/Montwood HS) on a ground-out to the shortstop. Central Oklahoma got the run back in the second, but Eastern’s offense kept the pressure on with a run in the bottom of the inning by taking advantage of an error to get Kevin Thompson (Fr., SS, La Cañada, Calif./La Cañada HS) across the plate for a 3-2 UCO advantage.

Orsak recorded a 1-2-3 third inning and Eastern took the lead in the bottom of the inning with two RBIs as Ethan Wagner (So., RF, San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchull HS) and Thompson each drove-in a run to give Eastern a 4-3 lead. The Bronchos retook the lead with a three-run fourth inning, but the Hounds tied the game at six in their half of the inning as Freddy Carmona (Jr., C, San Antonio, Texas/Ranger College/Taft HS) earned a bases-loaded walk and was followed by Wagner, who forced a run-in by getting hit by a pitch.

UCO took the lead for good with a three-run sixth inning, getting two runs off Orsak and one off ENMU reliever Antwhan Yazzie (Sr., LHP, White Mesa Ute Indian Reservation, Utah/Navajo Prep). The Hounds attempted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, but only managed one run on a RBI-ground out by Marbury that got Matt Chavez (So., PR, Albuquerque, N.M./Cibola HS) across the plate.

Eastern stranded 13 runners on base, including the first and fourth inning when the Hounds ended their at-bats with the bases loaded. Orsak took the loss to drop below .500 with a 4-5 record. Lance Phillips, who took the mound with two outs in the third, pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up two hits and one run to record his first win against one loss this season. Closer Aaron Chong was credited with the save, his sixth, for UCO.

The seven-inning nightcap began on a negative note as the Bronchos scored three runs in the opening inning off the Hounds’ Ismael Solis (Jr., RHP, Anthony, Texas/NMMI/Gadsden HS). ENMU tied the game in the bottom of the inning, as Marbury led-off with a walk, stole second and scored on Sean Cruce’s (So., SS, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) ensuing single. Hayes followed with a triple to drive-in Cruce and a sacrifice fly by Carmona allowed Hayes to tag for a 3-3 tie.

Solis kept UCO scoreless the next three innings, but gave up three runs in the fifth as the Hounds found themselves on the negative side of a 6-3 score. Eastern scored its final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Hayes for his second RBI of the game, which drove-in Marbury for his second run of the game. UCO put up five in the sixth and two in the seventh for the final 13-4 score. Solis’ record dropped to 3-6, while the Bronchos’ Ben Gamblin, who pitched only 1 1/3 innings, recorded the win to improve his record to 6-2.

ENMU will conclude the final home series of the season with a nine-inning game on Sunday, April 20. Five Greyhound seniors will be recognized prior to the game, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. MST game.