HUNTSVILLE, Texas — It took a two-run eighth inning – and three runs in their last two at-bats – to help Sam Houston salvage the final game of the series as the Bearkats defeated Lamar University, 5-3, Sunday afternoon at Don Sanders Stadium.
The Cardinals (27-17/13-7 WAC) scored their three runs on eight hits and held a lead going into the seventh inning. Sam Houston closed out the game with five runs on 10 hits. Despite Sunday’s outcome, the Cardinals had already locked up the weekend and season series over Sam Houston, 4-2.
Landon Odom received the start and allowed just one run on four hits with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings pitches. He was one of five pitchers to take the mound in the series finale. Daniel Cole took the loss after surrendering two runs in the eighth inning on three hits. The Bearkats’ Lance Lusk got the win after pitching a scoreless eighth and ninth inning.
Seven different Cardinals recorded hits Sunday led by a 2-for-4 effort with a run scored from Reese Durand. Kevin Bermudez was 1-for-2 with a triple and two runs driven in. The Cardinals other RBI came off the bat of Ryan Snell.
After a Saturday afternoon game that saw one run scored total, both teams combined to plate first-inning runs Sunday. Big Red plated a two-out run off the bat of Snell, while the Bearkats answered a score on a wild pitch with two outs in the home half of the first.
The score remained tied until the fourth inning when the Cardinals jumped back out in front. Again, with two outs in the inning, the Cardinals sparked a rally led off back consecutive singles from Durand and Josh Blankenship. Bermudez then stepped into the box and took the third pitch he saw into the gap in right center scoring both runs.
Sam Houston managed to get one run back in the fifth for the equalizer and the score was still tied at three as the game moved to the bottom half of the eighth inning. SHSU struggled to figure out the Cardinals bullpen over the weekend, but it broke through with two runs on three hits in the eighth. With two outs and a runner on second, the Bearkats recorded consecutive hits (double and single) to score two runs. Big Red was unable to push a run across in their final two at-bats.
The Cardinals return to action Tuesday when they travel to Baton Rouge, La., to take on Southern. The game against the Jaguars is slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch.