BEAUMONT, Texas — For the second straight day, Lamar University had to rally from an early deficit, and for the second game in a row LU used a five-run inning to take control of the game. The Cardinals posted their five-run inning in the home half of the fifth and never looked back defeating UC Riverside, 6-2, Sunday sweeping the series.
The victory locked up the Cardinals (13-3) second series sweep of the 2023 campaign.
Lamar was 11-for-33 (.333) at the plate with six different players getting hits. Among the six Cardinals who got hits, four finished with a multi-hit game led by a 3-for-4 effort from Ben MacNaughton with a run scored and a stolen base. Ryan Snell went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored, Kanin Dodge was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Ethan Ruiz was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.
The Cardinals started Jackson Cleveland who went 2.0 innings allowing just one hit with a strikeout. Cleveland was relieved in the third by Patrick Hail who went 2.2 allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts.
Hail gave way to Foster Kreuzer (2-0) who picked up the win after going 2.1 innings without allowing a hit and managed to pitch around three walks with two strikeouts. Daniel Cole pitched the final two innings for the Red and White facing six batters fanning five.
The Highlanders started Corbin Barker who took a shutout into the fifth inning, but Big Red managed to force Barker out of the game in the inning following a two-run blast to tie the game with no outs. Jack Gebb came on in relief and took the loss after pitching 1.0 inning allowing three unearned runs on three hits with a walk and strikeout.
Trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinals managed to take advantage of an error on Tyler Weaver at second to open the inning. With Wilson on first, Ruiz blasted a pitch over the wall in left to tie the game (his first of the season).
With the game evened up at two, the Cardinals didn’t let up. With the Highlanders’ into their bullpen, MacNaughton singled and two batters later Snell drew a base on balls. Josh Blankenship (1-for-3, 2 RBIs and run scored) then doubled to right field driving in both runners to give the Cards a three-run lead.
That would be all the offense LU would need but Big Red tacked on an insurance run in the sixth for the final score.
The Cardinals will now hit the road for four games in Missouri. Lamar will open the four-game stretch Wednesday at Missouri with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.