March 30, 2007
Box Score
BEAUMONT - Erik Kanaby, Ryan Baker and Travis Dunson each had two hits to lead Lamar University to a 7-5 win over Nicholls State Friday night in Southland Conference baseball action at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Lamar improved to 19-11 overall and 6-1 in SLC play. Nicholls dropped to 4-23 overall and 0-7 in SLC play. The Cardinals and Colonels continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m.
Brian Sisk improved to 6-0 on the season for the Cardinals. He pitched eighth and two-third innings, allowing five runs, four earned, with one walk and a season-high nine strikeouts.
The Colonels made things interesting in the top of the ninth inning. Thomas Bourne, who was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, started a two-out rally with a single to left field. Quinton Corley followed with a single to left field and Brandt Boudreaux made it three straight singles to left field to load the bases.
Jason Stutes was brought on in relief of Sisk. He walked Ryan Bledsoe on four pitches to drive in Bourne and make the score 7-5. Tim Erickson replaced Stutes on the mound and coaxed Keith Kulbeth to pop out to shallow right field to end the game. It was Erickson's second save of the season.
Keith Towne doubled down the right field line with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. Travis Dunson singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Towne with the game's first run.
Nicholls answered with a run in the top of the third inning. Anthony Marino singled and Bourne followed with a walk. Corley moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Boudreaux, who was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, singled to right field to drive in Marino.
Kulbeth drove in Bourne with a two-out, RBI bunt single. Brett Cook reached on a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Baker, which allowed Boudreaux to score and give the Colonels a 3-1 lead.
The Cardinals scored four times in the home half of the third inning. Erik Kanaby led off with a bunt single. Baker singled to center field and DeLome delivered a 2-run triple to left center field. Moore drove in DeLome on a fielder's choice groundout. Jeff Vickers singled down the left field line to drive in Moore, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Lamar padded its lead in the fourth inning. Towne, who was 1-for-3 with two runs scored, led off with a walk and stole second. Dunson, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI, followed with a single to center field to put runners on the corners. After Kanaby was intentionally walked, Baker drove in Towne with a sacrifice fly to center field to put Lamar up 6-3.
Boudreaux singled for the Colonels in the top of the fifth inning. Bledsoe doubled to right center field. Kulbeth drove in Boudreaux with an RBI groundout to make the score 6-4.
Baker, who was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, tripled to right center field to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. He scored on DeLome's sacrifice fly to right field to extend Lamar's lead to 7-4.
Nicholls starter Michael Bartek (0-6) took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits with three walks and no strikeouts in three and one-third innings.
