BEAUMONT – Lamar scored two runs in the fourth inning and three more in the eighth Saturday afternoon and that was all the Cardinals needed as they knocked off ACU, 5-0, in a Southland Conference baseball game at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
The Cardinals' win — coupled with Friday night's 7-5 victory — gives Lamar the series victory over the Wildcats. The series will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m. ACU will enter the game at 18-19 overall and 4-16 in league play, while Lamar is 13-26 and 8-12.
ACU starting pitcher
Jonathan Nicholson was terrific as he allowed just four hits and three runs (two runs) in seven strong innings of work. He held Lamar hitless through the first three innings before the Cardinals' Cole Girouard broke through with a leadoff double down the right field line. Robin Adames followed with a single through the left side to give Lamar runners at the corners with no outs before Cole Coker reached base on an error by shortstop
Robert Salazar to load the bases.
Logan LeJeune drove in the game's first run — and the only run Lamar would need — with a sacrifice fly, plating Girouard to give Lamar a 1-0 lead. Cole Secrest then drove in Adames with an RBI groundout to give Lamar a 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the eighth, but relief pitcher Ryan Erickson got
Riley Donahue to ground out to second base to end their best scoring threat of the day.
Lamar put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the eighth before Erickson struck out the side in the top of the ninth to close out the Wildcats.
The Wildcats collected just three hits in the game, two by
Dalon Farkas and one by
Lane Bourland.
