LAKE CHARLES, La. — Junior Ethan Ruiz homered twice (5, 6) – including the eventual game-winner – and senior Kevin Bermudez (7th) homered once as Lamar University rallied late for a 10-9 victory over McNeese to take the final game of the Battle of the Border Series. With the victory the Cardinals improve to 27-20 (.574) on the season and 10-11 (.476) in Southland Conference play and move back within a game of McNeese in the standings.
The Cardinals scored their 10 runs on 15 hits and were charged with an error, while McNeese scored nine runs on nine hits also with an error. Eight different Cardinals recorded hits Sunday, led by six players with multi-hit games including a 3-for-5 (run) day from Tanner Wilson.
Ruiz took full advantage of both hits finishing the day 2-for-5 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs. Ruiz was joined in the long-ball parade by Kevin Bermudez who went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a stolen base.
Junior Brooks Caple gave Lamar 5.1 innings Sunday allowing five runs – four earned – on four hits with five strikeouts. Caple was also hurt by four walks on the afternoon. Caple was one of six Cardinals to pitch Sunday as Jackson Cleveland picked up the win (4-4) in relief.
Ty Abraham took the loss for McNeese after pitching just a third of an inning in the ninth but surrendered two runs on three hits as the Cardinals rallied for a four-run ninth inning.
The Cardinals jumped on the scoreboard first with a three-run first. After Ben MacNaughton led off the inning by reaching on an error, Ryan Snell drew a two-out walk to set the stage for Ruiz. After falling behind 1-2, Ruiz crushed the next pitch he saw over the left field wall for his fifth home run of the season.
Lamar held the three-run lead until the bottom of the third when the Cowboys responded with a three-run inning of their own. McNeese got a two-run home from Taylor Darden followed by a walk and an error which led to an unearned run to tie the game.
The Cardinals jumped back on top when Bermudez jumped the yard for his seventh home run on the season. Bermudez took second offering from Brock Barthelemy and hit it over the left field wall to hand Big Red back a one-run lead, 4-3. River Orsak followed with a double but the next three Cardinal batters were sat down in order.
Unfortunately, McNeese answered immediately. In the bottom half of the next inning, the Cowboys led off the inning with a triple off the bat of Payten Harden, who came around to score five pitches later on a sacrifice fly to right field.
LU scored two runs in the top of the sixth to reclaim a two-run advantage, but McNeese would answer with a run in the bottom half of the inning. The Cardinals scored their two runs on a MacNaughton single to center while McNeese’s sixth-inning run came on a Tre Obregon double to right center.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys took their first lead of the game in the eighth inning after a lead-off walk and then back-to-back home runs. They finished the inning with three runs on three hits. Despite trailing for the first time all afternoon, and only having three outs to play with, the Red and White simply answered McNeese’s big inning with one of its own.
With runners on second and third and just one out, Snell singled down the left field line driving in one to pull the Cardinals within a run, 8-7. Two pitches later, Ruiz gave the Cardinals back the lead with a three-run blast to left, 10-8. The Cardinals finished the inning with four runs on six hits to take a two-run lead into the bottom half of the ninth.
The Cowboys threatened in the bottom half of the inning loading the bases and scoring a run but that would be as close as McNeese would get as LU’s bullpen shut the door preserving the win.
The Cardinals return to action Wednesday when they travel to Waco, Texas to take on Baylor. The game against the Bears is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.