May 24, 2008
Box Score
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Lamar head coach Jim Gilligan knew Saturday's Southland Conference Championship game with the strongest right-handed hitting team in the league would present some problems for his left-handed ace Tim Erickson.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Sam Houston got a few more timely hits including a two-run triple by Ryan Weber and a 3-run homer by tourney Most Valuable Player Bobby Verbick in a six-run fourth that paved the way for a 15-7 Bearkat victory. LU ended its season at 35-23 and won the SLC East Division for the second-consecutive year at 20-10.
Sam Houston's big inning came after both teams pushed one run across in the third. Lamar responded with three of its own in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to 7-4, only to see SHSU answer with a three-spot of its own in the top of the fourth. The Kats added two more in the sixth to extend the lead 11-4.
Lamar rallied one final time in the seventh but after Brian Taylor and Steven Tucker walked to open the inning and Travis Dunson drove in Taylor from second with an infield single, SHSU turned a crucial double play. The next batter was David Moore who hit his fourth home run of the tournament to make the score 12-7. The rally ended after a pair of singles and a groundout.
SHSU scored three more in the next half inning to put the game away and clinch its second-straight SLC Tournament title.
Moore and Taylor were both named to the All-Tournament team, along with the winner of Saturday's first game, Brian Sisk.
Lamar got an outstanding performance from Sisk in a 4-2 win over Southeastern Louisiana just to advance to the title game earlier Saturday.
Throwing on just two days rest following Wednesday's 5.2 inning, 79-pitch outing, Sisk (10-2) tossed his third complete game of the year on a season-high 123 pitches. He scattered five hits and allowed just two runs while producing 19 ground-ball outs. He became the first pitcher in school history to win 10-games in consecutive seasons.
Jeff Vickers drove in the first run of the game on a bases loaded fielder's choice in the top of the first. An inning later, Brian Taylor doubled off the wall down the right field line to score Jeremiah Sammy and Tyler Link and give Lamar a 3-0 lead.
SLU's Matthew Schexnayder doubled to lead off the third and later scored on a Ty Summerlin ground out for the Lions' first run. The Cards added an insurance run in the seventh before SLU plated an unearned run in the eighth.
