April 9, 2013

Box Score

BEAUMONT – Following an 72-minute lightning delay, the Lamar baseball team bounced back from an 8-1 deficit with seven straight scores, but unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough as a ninth-inning sacrifice fly secured an 9-8 win for 14^th-ranked Rice at Vincent-Beck Stadium on Tuesday night.

With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 24-10 on the year, and the Owls improved to 24-11.

Rice got things started early, hopping on Lamar starter Tom Elsom for a pair of runs early, and the Owls kept it going by scoring four times (three unearned) on Brett Brown and once more on Travis Moore in the game’s opening three frames.

Lamar did push one run across in the early goings as Sam Bumpers led off the first with a single and later scored on a Brad Picha groundout.

However, due to lightning in the Beaumont area, the game was suspended in the middle of the third, which ultimately allowed the Cardinals to regroup for the impressive comeback.

Bumpers was once again active, leading off the bottom of the third with a single before scoring on another groundout, this time by Darian Johnson.

Bumpers ended the night 3-for-5 with a pair of runs batted in and two scores. Johnson was 1-for-5 with three RBI.

LU added four more runs to pull within two an inning later. Walks by Aaron Olivas and Jude Vidrine as well as an Andrew Dewey single loaded the bases for Johnson, who laced a double down the left field line for a pair of scores.  Singles by Picha and Seth Dornak brought in two more.

Dewey went 2-for-5 with a pair of scores, and Picha had a 3-for-5 night with two RBI. Dornak had multiple hits as well, finishing 2-for-5, and as a team, Lamar out-hit Rice 11-5.

Meanwhile, the LU pitching staff held the Owls at bay, with Ben Coram allowing just one base-runner over two innings of work and both J.T. Autrey and Jerin Spikes throwing hitless frames.

Lamar finally equalized in the seventh, Olivas reached on an error and Dewey singled to put two on with one out. Bumpers later capitalized with a single to center to bring in both and chase Rice reliever Chase McDowell from the game.

Rice opened up the ninth inning with a Michael Aquino double to left off LU reliever Chase Angelle, and back-to-back flyouts by Keenan Cook and Michael Rattarree plated the deciding run.

Angelle picked up the loss, dropping to 1-2 on the year, and Kevin McCanna was credited with the win, improving to 2-0.

Lamar will return to Vincent-Beck on Friday night for the start of a three-game Southland Conference set against Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are currently tied for first place in the league, and first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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