March 16, 2005
Box Score
BEAUMONT - Senior Jeremy Gray went 3-for-3 and five pitchers combined to hold the Boilermakers offense in check as Lamar cruised to a 7-2 win over Purdue in non-conference baseball action Wednesday at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Lamar improved to 15-7 on the season and has won six of its last seven games. The Cardinals open Southland Conference play this weekend, hosting Texas-Arlington in a three-game series. Lamar and the Mavericks will play Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Purdue (1-10) started the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. Andy Dahl reached on a bunt single and scored on Mitch Hilligoss' double to left center field.
Lamar took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Andrew Leal led off the inning with a single to center field. C.J. Ebarb followed with a single to right and Jo Jo Haney drove in Leal with a single to right field. Matt Lambeth double down the right field line to drive in Will Henderson and Jeremy Gray, who singled to left, scored on a wild pitch.
The Boilermakers added another run in the third inning. Hilligoss walked and stole second base. Eric Osborn drove in Hilligoss with a double to left field to make the score 3-2.
Henderson, who was 1-for-4 with two runs scored, led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run to left center field, which was the junior from Beaumont's first career home run. Gray, who was 3-for-3 with two runs scored, made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot to straight away center field.
Lambeth, who was 2-for-3, continued the hit parade with a single to right field. Pinch-hitter Murray Gilbertson walked and Adrian Cantu singled to right field to drive in Lambeth. Leal, who was 2-for-4, singled up the middle and Ebarb, who was 2-for-4, followed with a RBI single to center field to make the score 7-2.
Brian Shallock (1-0), the second of four Lamar relievers, pitched two scoreless innings and allowed just one hit to earn his first win of the season. Freshman John Ross Ramirez made his first career start and allowed two runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts in three innings pitched. Senior Trey Swor pitched two scoreless innings, and Steve MacFarland and Chuckie Platt each pitched one scoreless inning to close out the game.
Purdue starter Jay Buente (0-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in six innings pitched.
