Feb. 27, 2009
Box Score
BEAUMONT - Senior Tyler Link led off the game with a solo home run to left field and Lamar University never looked back en route to a 3-0 win over Columbia University in non-conference baseball action Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Lamar improved to 7-0 on the season while Columbia, making its season debut, dropped to 0-1. The Cardinals and Lions will continue the four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 11:30 a.m. The series concludes Sunday with a single game at 12 noon.
After Link's home run, Steven Tucker singled but was erased when Joey Latulippe reached on a fielder's choice. Latulippe scored when left fielder Alex Aurrichio dropped a fly ball hit by Quentin Luquette to put the Cardinals up 2-0.
The Cardinals pushed across another run in the bottom of the second inning. Jeremiah Sammy doubled when three Lions converged on a pop up to shallow left center with no one managing to get even a glove on the ball. Anthony Moore drove in Sammy with an RBI ground out to make the score 3-0.
Ricky Testa (1-0) was masterful in his second straight Friday start for the Cardinals. The senior right-hander scattered three hits over eight innings. He struck seven and walked just one batter. In 14.0 innings pitched this season, Testa has not allowed a run while allowing just four hits with 17 strikeouts.
Taylor McInnis recorded the final three outs to record his first save of the season, striking out one batter.
Link's lead-off home run pushed his hitting streak to six straight games. Sammy was 1-for-2 with a run scored and extended his hitting streak to five straight. Tucker and Wade Mathis also collected a hit and both are riding three-game streaks.
Columbia starter Joe Scarlata (0-1) took the loss for the Lions. He allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
