Senior C.J. Ebarb, who was 1-for-3 with three RBI, delivered the a 2-run single to put Lamar up for good at 2-1 in the fourth inning.

Baseball 4/18/2006 12:00:00 AM

Lamar Holds Off Prairie View A&M, 7-5

April 18, 2006

BEAUMONT - Senior C.J. Ebarb's 2-run single put the Cardinals up for good and freshman Brian Needham picked up his first collegiate win as Lamar University held off Prairie View A&M for a 7-5 win in non-conference baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Lamar, who has won nine of its last 10 games, improved to 28-12 overall. Prairie View dropped to 27-15 overall. The Cardinals return to Southland Conference action this weekend hosting Louisiana-Monroe in a three-game series beginning with Friday's 6:30 p.m. game at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Needham (1-2), who was making his fifth start of the season, pitched the first five innings, allowing one run on three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts. He struck out the first five batters to start the game. Derrick Gordon pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to record his third save of the season, allowing one unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts.

Trailing 1-0, the Cardinal bats finally came to life in the fourth inning. Ryan Baker, who was 1-for-3 with two runs scored, drew a leadoff walk and Collin DeLome followed with a bunt single. Dan Hernandez sacrificed both runners into scoring position. After Will Henderson struck out, Ebarb delivered a 2-run single to center field to put Lamar up 2-1.

Lamar broke open the game with five runs in the home half of the fifth inning. Jo Jo Haney led off with a walk and stole second. Colt Crawford sacrificed Haney to third. Erik Kanaby, who was 2-for-4, singled up the middle to drive in Haney.

Kanaby advanced to second on a throwing error by relief pitcher Adrian Canales and Baker singled to put runners on the corners. DeLome, who was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, drove in Kanaby with a bunt single to put Lamar up 4-1. Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Henderson hit a come-backer to pitcher Brian Lloyd, who threw wild to home plate to try and cut down the lead runner. As a result of Lloyd's throwing error, Henderson reached in a fielder's choice and Baker and DeLome both scored. Ebarb, who was 1-for-3 with three RBI, drove in Hernandez with a sacrifice fly to center field to put the Cardinals up 7-1.

Prairie View scored three runs in the eighth inning and another in the ninth to make things interesting. Pinch-hitter Brandon Kendericks led off the eighth with a pinch-hit infield single. Pinch-hitter Anton Daley walked and Michael Richards was hit by a pitch from reliever John Ross Ramirez to load the bases with one out. Patrick Hines was hit by a pitch to drive in Kendericks.

Odie Davis drove in Daley with a bunt single. Brandon Whitby drove in Richard with an RBI ground out to first base to make the score 7-4.

Daley singled up the middle with two outs in the ninth for the Panthers. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. Eugene Edwards reached on a fielding error by Baker at second base, which allowed Daley to score on the play to make the final score 7-5.

Prairie View started the scoring with a run in the top of the third inning. Calvin Lester tripled to right center field with two outs. Oscar Goldman followed with a double down the right field line to give the Panther a 1-0 lead.

Canales (6-4), the third of seven pitchers on the day for the Panthers, took the loss in relief. He allowed seven runs, three earned, on five hits with two walks and one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

Print Friendly Version