ENMU's Vendrely Hit Streak Reaches Ten, Hounds Fall at Abilene Christian
by ENMU Athletics
ABILENE, TEXAS — Senior second baseman Tyler Hayes’ (Houston, Texas/Aliet F. Hastings HS) staked the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team (16-17; LSC 9-14) to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap of a Lone Star Conference doubleheader against Abilene Christian (24-11; LSC 21-5) when he drove a RBI-triple to deep right field, but the Wildcats rallied to post a 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Crutcher Scott Field. Eastern also dropped the opening game of the double header by a 17-4 score.
Kevin Thompson (Fr., SS, La Cañada, Calif./La Cañada HS) led off the second game by driving a single between ACU third baseman Cameron Watten and shortstop William Uechi, and scored one batter later on a triple from Hayes. Thompson has hit safely in five of the last six games. Junior Ismael Solis (RHP, Anthony, N.M./NMMI/Gadsden HS) limited the Wildcats to one hit in each of the first two innings, but ACU tied the game in the third inning on a squeeze bunt from Thomas Bumpass. Two batters later, catcher Jordan Schmitt drove a two-out, two-run blast to left centerfield, giving ACU a 3-1 lead.
The Hounds managed to get the tying run on base in the sixth and seventh innings, but relief pitcher Chris Wiman induced an inning-ending double play in the sixth and retired the final to batters in the seventh to escape the jams.
Thompson batted two-for-three, while Ethan Wagner (So., DH, San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchill HS) doubled for Eastern. Solis tossed a complete-game six hitter with three strike outs and no walks.
Freddy Carmona (Jr., DH, San Antonio, Texas/Ranger/William H Taft HS) drove an offering from ACU starter Ben Maynard to lead off the second inning of the opener, staking the Hounds to a 1-0 lead. Jereme Johnson (So., RF, Roswell, N.M./NMMI/Roswell HS) added a two-out RBI double in the inning to extend the ENMU lead to 2-0. The Wildcats responded with a six-run, 12-batter rally in the bottom of the frame and extended their lead to 11-2 before the Hounds struck again in the top of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth the Greyhounds trimmed the deficit to 11-4 after back-to-back two-out RBI singles from Seth Clabaugh (Jr., 1B, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) and Paden Vendrely (So., C, Deming, N.M./Deming HS). Vendrely’s single extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ACU scored the final eight runs of the game.
Clabaugh batted three-for-four while Johnson batted two-for four. Doug McIntyre (Fr., RHP, Pasadena, Texas/Wharton County JC/Pasadena HS) tossed two innings of relief for Eastern, limiting ACU to one run on one hit, and struck out three.
The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team will close out their series at Abilene Christian on Sunday. Game time is set for 2 p.m. MST.
