Feb. 23, 2007
Box Score
BEAUMONT - Brian Sisk turned in another stellar outing on the mound and Michael Ambort provided the offensive punch as Lamar University cruised to a 16-2 win over Northwestern in Friday's second game of the Cardinal Classic at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Lamar improved to 4-2 overall and Northwestern dropped to 1-3. The Cardinal Classic schedule for Saturday has the host Cardinals playing Creighton at 12 p.m. and Northwestern and Arkansas State starting 30 minutes after the completion of Lamar's game, which will be approximately 3 p.m.
The Cardinals scored in each of the first four innings, which was more than enough offense for Sisk (2-0). The junior left-hander allowed just two unearned runs on seven hits with no walks and a season-high eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched. He has not allowed an earned run in 19.0 innings pitched this season.
Lamar started the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Ryan Baker, who was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, singled to center field. Collin DeLome, who was 2-for-5 with three runs scored, followed with an infield single.
Ambort flew out to right field, which allowed baker to move up to third base. Baker scored on a wild pitch by NU starter Matt Diedrich. Dan Hernandez and Jeff Vickers walked to load the bases. Brian Lloyd and David Moore each drew RBI walks to put the Cardinals up 3-0.
The Cardinals added three more runs in the second inning, taking advantage of two NU errors. Erik Kanaby, who was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI, reached on an infield single. That extended his hitting streak to 12-game dating back to last season.
Baker reached on an error by first baseman Jake Goebbert who was trying to catch a pop up just past the infield dirt in shallow right field. Both runners moved up a base on a throwing error by right fielder Antonio Mule on the same play. Ambort delivered an RBI single to right field and Vickers, who was 2-for-3, had a 2-run single to center field to make the score 6-0.
The Wildcats struck for a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Tommy Finn, who was 2-for-3, led off the inning with a single and Kenneth Avila reached on a fielding error by third baseman Travis Dunson. Jake Owens drove in Finn with an RBI single and Mule, who was 2-for-3, drove in Avila with an infield single.
Lamar answered in the home half of the inning with four runs. Kanaby and Baker each had RBI singles and Ambort had an RBI double to right center to push the score to 10-2.
The Cardinals closed out the scoring with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kanaby drove in Lloyd, who singled, with a fielder's choice ground out. Moore, who reached on a walk, scored on a balk by reliever Eric Binder and DeLome singled in Baker, who also walked. Ambort, who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and five RBI, cleared the bases with a 3-run home run down the right field line.
Diedrich (0-2) took the loss for NU, allowing 10 runs, six earned, on eight hits with four walks and one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Binder allowed the other six runs on three hits with three walks in 1/3 of an inning pitched.
