Baseball | 3/28/2015 6:10:00 PM
Box Score BEAUMONT – Lamar scored all the runs it would need in the first two innings against ACU starting pitcher Aaron Mason, plating seven runs en route to an 8-4 win over the Wildcats in non-conference action at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Because of the odd number of members in the Southland Conference, the Southland foes had a weekend out of league play, and each elected to use their off weekends to face each other. The loss drops ACU to 5-18 overall, while Lamar improves to 13-13. The final game of the series will be Sunday at 1 p.m. with ACU sending reigning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week
Thomas Altimont to the mound in hopes of salvaging one game from the series.
The Wildcats committed three errors in the game, including a throwing error by Mason in the first inning that allowed leadoff hitter Stijn van der Meer to reach base. He then gave up a single and a walk before getting back-to-back strikeouts to come within one out of getting out of the inning. But the first pitch Kyle Markum saw was shot into the left-centerfield for a three-run double to make it 3-0.
ACU answered with two runs in the second when
Jordan Forrester and
Russell Crippen pulle off a double steal with Crippen stealing home, and Forrester scoring when
Cody Huson reached on an error by van der Meer.
Lamar then essentially put the game away in the bottom of the second with four more runs against Mason, all again coming in with two outs. With two outs and two on, Mason gave up an RBI double, an RBI single and an RBI triple and RBI single to make it 7-2.
ACU scored in the sixth when Crippen led off the inning with a triple and then scored when
Colton Hall struck out, but reached base on a throwing error by the catcher. The Wildcats tacked on another run in the seventh on an RBI single by
Alex Copeland, but it wasn't enough as ACU dropped to 1-9 on the road this season.
Mason lasted just two innings, giving up eight hits, seven runs (four earned) and two walks to take the loss and fall to 0-4. Danny Fernandez picked up the win for Lamar, giving up seven hits and two runs in five innings.
