AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's baseball surrendered four unearned runs and two three-run innings in an 8-3 loss to Eastern New Mexico to open the four-game series.
The game had the makings of a pitcher's duel early, with St. Edward's starter
JACK GRANACK (L, 0-2) and Eastern New Mexico's Gavin Perry (W, 2-2) working quickly through the early innings.
After two three-up, three-down innings, Eastern New Mexico broke through with the first hit of the game in the top of the third. Juan Avila led off with a walk, Landon Pyles followed with a rip up the middle for a single, and Tucker Gideon bunted for a single with no one covering first to load the bases with no outs.
Demetrio Archuleta drove in the first run on a shot that bounced off first baseman
NICHOLAS ANDERSON but ricocheted directly to
JACK GRANACK for the out at first.
Willie Ponce drove in two more with a shallow pop fly to right field when
KYLER KERLIN lost his footing. St. Edward's second baseman recovered to throw out Ponce, who was heading back to first, but not before the Greyhounds took a 3-0 lead.
TY MURRAY followed with St. Edward's first hit in the bottom of the inning with a rip to center, just past the outstretched glove of the diving Gideon for a one-out double, but Kerlin grounded out to second, and
WESTON SYMES flied out to center to leave Murray stranded.
Eastern New Mexico put runners on the corners with two outs in the fourth on a Luciano Terilli single up the middle, but Granack went after Juan Avila, striking him out in three pitches to end the inning.
St. Edward's cut into its deficit with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
CONNOR COX led off with an infield single, sending the ball up the middle and beating out the throw from Archuleta at second, who made a spectacular diving catch to keep the ball out of the outfield but couldn't make the throw in time.
After
DILLON FLORES flied out to right field,
TREVOR SEBEK singled to center, and
MATT JOHNSON grounded out to first, moving both runners into scoring position for
DAVIS DREWEK, who drove both in with an opposite-field double.
Eastern New Mexico put two on with two outs on an Archuleta single through the right side and a walk, but Cox tracked down Pruitt's line drive to left field on a 3-2 count to escape the inning. Granack finished with five strikeouts, three walks, five hits, and three runs allowed in six innings.
St. Edward's turned to its bullpen to start the seventh, replacing Granack with
HAEVEN CICHOCKI. Eastern New Mexico greeted him with a leadoff walk and a single, then loaded the bases on a sacrifice bunt that turned into an error.
Ponce grounded into a fielder's choice with the out at second, with St. Edward's unable to complete the 4-6-3 double play, driving in another run. After Cichocki hit Daniel Pruitt to load the bases,
COLIN JACKSON replaced Cichocki and walked in another run, followed by the third run of the inning on another fielder's choice.
St. Edward's loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, scoring
DIEGO SOLIS on a wild pitch, but left two other runners stranded.
Eastern New Mexico scored two more in the seventh after both teams went down in order in the eighth. The Greyhounds scored one run on a throwing error from home to third on a stolen base, followed by a sacrifice fly to left field. The Hilltoppers went down in order in the ninth, clinching Perry's complete game victory.
St. Edward's drops to 4-7 with a 4-5 conference record after the loss. St. Edward's and Eastern New Mexico will resume the series with a doubleheader tomorrow at noon.
