BEAUMONT -- Lamar scored six runs in the fifth inning Friday night and those runs were enough to knock off ACU, 7-5, in the first game of a three-game Southland Conference series at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
ACU starting pitcher
Brock Barger and Lamar starter Tanner Driskill battled through four scoreless innings with Barger giving up just two hits and Driskill one before the Cardinals got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with six runs.
Robin Adames had a two-run double in the fifth for Lamar to make it a 4-0 game before Cole Coker singled up the middle to drive in the fith run of the frame. Grant Devore completed the scoring in the inning with a single to drive in Coker to make it a 6-0 game. Barger was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs (all earned) in 4 1/3 innings of work.
As has been their M.O. all season, however, the Wildcats didn't go quietly. they cut the Lamar lead in half in the top of the seventh by plating three runs.
Riley Donahue led off the seventh with a single and went to third on a double by
Dalton Dunn. Matt Munoz then singled in a pair of runs, and he came all the way around to score an unearned run on an error by the Lamar centerfielder.
Four batters later the Wildcats had runners on first and second with two outs when
Derek Scott came to the plate as the game-tying run. He ripped a 1-0 pitch up the middle that glanced off relief pitcher Jack Dallas to second baseman Grant Devore, who picked it clean and fired to first to just nab Scott at first base to end the inning.
After Lamar got a run back in the bottom of the seventh to make it 7-3, the Wildcats answered with two more in the top of the eighth. With runners at the corners and two outs, Donahue scored on a wild pitch and Munoz advanced to second base before
Dalon Farkas walked. Pinch-hitter
Nolan Ritchie then walked to load the bases before pinch-hitter
Colton Eager singled through the left side to drive in Munoz to make it 7-5. But with the bases still loaded,
Caleb Kyle popped out on a 2-2 pitch to end the inning.
The Wildcats went down in order in the top of the ninth as they fell to 18-18 overall and 4-15 in league play. The win pushes Lamar to 12-26 and 7-12. The series will resume Saturday at 2 p.m. before it concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
