April 26, 2008

CANYON, Texas - Another stifling pitching performance by Eastern New Mexico shut the door on the West Texas A&M baseball team on Saturday afternoon, as the Buffs fell in the first game of a double header at Conner Park 17-4 and dropped game two 12-11. In the first contest, ENMU pitcher Thomas Green (6-3) pitched a complete game allowing only four runs to the explosive Buff offense.

With the losses, the Buffs end the season 9-42 overall and 6-37 in Lone Star Conference South Division play. The Greyhounds, meanwhile, wrapped up LSC South play and moved their record to 26-26 and 19-21 in conference action.

Game 1 Recap (Eastern New Mexico 17, West Texas A&M 4)
ENMU pounded out 20 hits as it took game one of a doubleheader 17-4 at Conner Park. The Greyhounds took a 4-0 lead in the third inning, highlighted by Canyon native Clayton Young's his third homer of the year, a grand slam to right center field. WT answered back in the top of the fourth with a Brian Schupp single that plated shortstop Darby Walker. WT scored three runs in the last four innings, including a Kevin Els leadoff home run to left field in the sixth, followed by a Eric Lensing RBI double and a Ben Edge RBI groundout in the eighth inning.

Eastern put the final nail in the coffin, sending 12 runners to the plate in the top of the sixth inning, scoring nine runs on 10 hits to secure the win. West Texas A&M senior right-hander Bart Cannon (2-7) took the loss, giving up 10 runs on 10 hits in five innings of work.

Game 2 Recap (Eastern New Mexico 12, West Texas A&M 11)
The Buffs' come-from-behind bid came up a little short in the night cap of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader, as WT scored five in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 12-11 loss to LSC rival Eastern New Mexico. WT senior starter Eric Henderson (2-5) took the loss, after giving up five hits and walking four in one inning of work.

The `Hounds' offense came out firing in game two, scoring eight runs in the top of the first inning on four hits and one WT error. Buff junior Will McLaughlin got thing started in the home half of the inning, scoring Walker on a sac fly followed by a Lensing RBI single up the middle to cut the lead to 8-2.

The two teams traded runs, with ENMU holding a 12-6 lead going into the Buffs'half of seventh. After two groundouts, and three hit batsmen, Walker stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and drove a full count fastball over the scoreboard in right field to make the Eastern lead 12-11. The Hounds reliever re-composed himself and forced senior Justin Graham to groundout to the shortstop to end the game and the WT baseball season.