April 18, 2009
Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two
SAN ANTONIO -- Lamar benefitted from a big inning in game one and UTSA used a big inning in game two as the teams split a doubleheader in the first two games of their Southland Conference series at Roadrunner Field Saturday.
The teams remained a game apart from each other in the SLC standings, with Lamar (24-16, 11-9) maintaining its sixth-place spot and UTSA (20-18, 10-10) holding steady in seventh. Northwestern State, who entered the weekend a half-game ahead of Lamar at 10-7, has yet to play any of its home games with league leader Texas State due to heavy rain in Natchitoches, La. They will attempt a doubleheader on Sunday.
It marked the first time Lamar had lost either end of a doubleheader this season after they had swept a pair from Austin Peay, Columbia and UTPA - all at home.
The series will conclude on Sunday with the rubber game of the condensed weekend at 1 p.m.
Game One Recap: Lamar 7, UTSA 4
Lamar scored one run in each of the final three innings and Brian Needham struck out six in 3.1 innings of relief as the Cardinals won the first game of the doubleheader 7-4 over UTSA.
Needham inherited runners at the corners and after allowing an RBI single that tied the game at 4-4, surrendered just one hit and retired the final seven batters of the game to improve to 2-2 in his team-leading 21st appearance.
The Cardinals turned a season-high three double plays and postedg a pair of sacrifice flies, which tied their season-high.
Brian Taylor went 3-for-4 with a bases loaded walk in the ninth and Tyler Link collected two hits, scored three times and added to his SLC-best walk total with one more for 35 on the season.
Lamar got on the board in the first when Link walked before advancing to second on a passed ball. Taylor then singled which moved Link to third before he continued home when right fielder Tyler Carpenter misplayed the ball on the ground.
UTSA tied it right back in the bottom of the first on consecutive two-out doubles by Jose Hernandez and Michael Rockett.
The Cardinals jumped out to their largest lead of the contest with a three-run third to take a 4-1 advantage. While Chris Dunkin had an RBI single, LU benefitted from miscues by the Roadrunners as Steven Tucker and Dunkin moved to second and third on a balk before advancing another 90 feet on a wild pitch. A passed ball then allowed Dunkin to score on a Ryan Saldivar strikeout.
UTSA threatened in the bottom half of the inning, putting runners at the corners with one out before a 4-6-3 double play ended the threat and preserved the lead.
But the Cards weren't as fortunate in the next inning when the Runners cut the margin to 4-2 as Carpenter scored from third on a double play to the right side of the infield. UTSA tied the game at 4-4 two innings later and chased LU starter Eric Harrington with two away in the sixth. That's when Needham came on and slammed the door on the home team.
The Cardinals took the lead for good in the seventh when Jeremiah Sammy led off with a walk, moved to third on a passed bal and a Quenbtin Luquette single, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Moore.
Lamar started to put more pressure on UTSA in the eighth when a sac bunt by Tucker advanced Taylor to second and Link to third. But a sac fly by Chris Dunkin down the right field line was all Big Red could manage in stretching its lead to 6-4.
In the ninth, Lamar's loaded the bases with no outs but registered two strikeouts before Taylor's full count free pass brought in Sammy.
Only five of the 11 runs were scored on an RBI as the teams combined for five errors, three passed balls, two wild pitches and a balk, which led to six unearned runs.
UTSA starter Red Patterson dropped to 4-3 after allowing Lamar's first six runs on nine hits through eight full innings.
Game Two Recap: UTSA 7, Lamar 2
UTSA jumped out to a 3-0 lead and used a four-run seventh to pull away from Lamar for a 7-2 win and split the doubleheader.
Kris Ruepke tossed 7.2 innings and scattered seven hits while allowing both Cardinal runs in the fourth on a Cameron Campbell 2-run homer that made it a 3-2 Runner lead. It was Campbell's first career home run in his 24th at-bat of this - his redshirt freshman season.
But that was the extent of Lamar's offense in the second game as they managed just six hits over the final 5.2 frames. LU finished with eight base knocks compared to nine for UTSA.
UTSA, meanwhile, plated four more runs on three hits in the seventh, including a 2-run single by Brett Aguilar that stretched its lead to 5-2. A 2-run double by Jason Mohn concluded the scoring on the day.
Andy Mena, who went 2-for 3 was the only Lamar player to collect more than one hit in the game.
Matison Smith lasted just 1.2 innings and fell to 5-3 after giving up three runs on four hits. Ruepke improved to 1-4 in his seventh start over 12 appearances.
