Hounds split with Kingsville
PORTALES — Senior catcher Ryan Pruitt went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and second baseman Chris Eaton homered and drove in four runs as Eastern New Mexico University rallied past Texas A&M-Kingsville 16-9 on Friday in the opener of a Lone Star Conference baseball doubleheader at Greyhound Field.
The Javelinas came back to take the nightcap 12-7 as leadoff man Clifton Thomas doubled, tripled and homered and designated hitter Ben Villaferte went 4-for-4 to spark an 18-hit attack.
The teams play another twin bill today, starting at 1 p.m., to finish off the four-game series.
ENMU (10-8, 9-5 LSC) led 4-0, then fell behind twice before taking a 10-9 lead with a three-run fifth capped by Pruitt’s RBI single to right in the seven-inning opener. The Greyhounds then put the game out of reach with a six-run sixth.
Juan Sanchez (1-0) got the win, getting the final out of the fifth. Senior right-hander Anthony Smith went two innings for his fifth save.
The Javelinas (10-9, 6-8) took the lead for good at 6-5 in the nightcap on an RBI groundout by Jerry Rodriguez and a run-scoring single by Villafuerte in the top of the fifth. Leading 9-7, Kingsville put the game out of reach with three runs in the top of the ninth.
Center fielder Luis Quinones led a 15 hit ENMU attack, going 3-for-4, while Eaton, Wagner, Sean Cruce, Kevin Thompson and Mitch Wolfe all had two hits.
