The Tuskegee University Golden Tigers began a 9 game road trip at the Home Plate facility in Peachtree City, Georgia against Eastern New Mexico State University. Tuskegee came into the game with a 5-2 record in the early season, while Eastern New Mexico is off to a 7-1 start. The teams played two games under sunny skies on Monday, February 13, 2017.
Eastern New Mexico swept both games winning the first contest 7-3 behind a seven hit-eight strike out pitching performance from Enrique Perez. After the Golden Tigers drew first blood in the first on a double in the right center field gap from sophomore catcher Matthew Reed, the Greyhounds took a 3-1 lead in their half of the first with back to back home runs from Andrew Stubbs and Mike McNicholl.
The Greyhounds scored a run in the second to go up 4-1 and Tuskegee came roaring back picking up 2 runs in the third on a double to left by Jalen Luther and a single to left off the bat of Joe Mauldin. The Game stayed closed until the sixth when the Greyhounds scored 3 unearned runs on one hit and an error. Eugene Mabota pitched 7 strong innings for the Golden Tigers giving up 3 earned runs on 5 hits. He struck out two Greyhounds.
In the nightcap, Eastern New Mexico limited the Golden Tigers to 5 hits behind the pitching duo of Nick DeArmond and Victor Persad. DeArmond gave up a home run to Jalen Luter in the first inning and shut them out after that until giving way to Persad in the 5th inning. Persad gave up one hit and struck out three.
Tuskegee moves to 5-4 on the season and Eastern New Mexico improves to 9-1.
Following the double-hitter, Tuskegee’s first year coach, Reginald Hollins said that he likes the progress of his young team and that the early games have been a learning experience for the players and for the coaching staff.
Hollins plans to shake up his infield to cut down on errors which have plagued the team in the early going.
Harold Michael Harvey is an American novelist and essayist, the author of Paper puzzle and Justice in the Round, Easier to obtain Than to Maintain: The Globalization of Civil Rights by Charles Steele, Jr.; and the host of Beyond the Law with Harold Michael Harvey. He can be contacted at haroldmichaelharvey.com.