BEAUMONT, Texas — Junior Trevin Michael went nine innings allowing just four hits while striking out five – with just one walk – as Lamar University shutout the Southland Conference leading New Orleans Privateers, 6-0, Friday evening at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
“Trevin really pounded the strike zone tonight,” said LU head coach Will Davis. “He only had the one walk and that was it. We played great defense behind him and that was the winning formula. He was poised and under control. He pitched like a Friday night starter.”
The victory came at the right time for LU who snapped a small four-game slide to improve to 20-19 on the season, and 12-17 in Southland Conference play. Michael improved to 5-2 on the year.
UNO started Haden Erbe who went 6.2 innings surrendering six runs (three earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts. He was one of two Privateers to pitch Friday (Collin Kulivan pitched the final 1.1).
Seven different Cardinals finished the night with a hit, led by two-hit efforts from Avery George and Anthony Quirion. George finished the night with two RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore Ben MacNaughton finished the day with one hit, but he made it count as it was an RBI triple that got by the outstretched arm of a diving Luther Woullard in centerfield.
“I’m very proud of this team tonight,” said Davis. “After the tough week we had last week, we were not too far into the bus ride back with Trevin came up to me and said ‘I’m starting on Friday,’ and keep in mind he had just pitched that day. He knew we needed a win. I had other guys tell me similar things throughout the week as well. It things like that which make me feel good as a coach knowing your guys care that much and still have a lot of hope. Trevin really back it up tonight.”
Friday’s game was a pitcher’s duel for the first four innings as both starters kept opposing offenses off the scoreboard. The Cardinals broke through in the home half of the fifth. Quirion led off the inning with a single, and immediately stole second. After advancing to third, junior Logan LeJeune brought him home with a sacrifice fly to center. Senior Cole Girourd (who followed Quirion in the inning with a walk, and a stolen base) came around to score the Cardinals’ other run on MacNaughton’s triple.
Michael came out in the top half of the next inning and sat the Privateers down in order on just 12 pitches. Big Red took advantage of the quick turnaround to extend their lead with a Kelby Weyler RBI single. The Warren, Texas native brought George around to score after he led off the inning with a single followed by a stolen base – one of six swipes for LU Friday.
After another shutdown inning from Michael, the Cardinals went for the knockout punch in the next inning. LU took advantage of an error and a wild pitch to plate three unearned runs in the inning – an inning that would force Erbe out of the game. Ryan Snell took advantage of a misplayed fly ball that the UNO third baseman dropped. Snell hustled out of the box and wound up on second. Girouard laid down a bunt which UNO was unable to make a play on setting up first and third with no out. Girouard stole second moments later. Two batters later, Snell came home on a wild pitch.
After MacNaughton was hit by a pitch, he then stole second once against setting up second and third. Two batters later, George brought both home on a single to left field.
After the three run seventh, the Cardinals turned things back over to Michael and he was nearly flawless recording the shutout. He breezed through the eighth on six pitches, and after giving up a leadoff double in the ninth he sat the next three Privateers down in order.
The Cardinals return to action Saturday when they host New Orleans in a doubleheader. Game one is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch from Vincent-Beck Stadium. LU will be honoring its graduates in between games.