April 5, 2014

Box Score

ABILENE – Four Cardinals had multi-hit days on Saturday, but it was Kevin Santana getting hit by an errant pitch that ultimately sealed the deal as the Lamar baseball team beat Abilene Christian 5-4 at Crutcher Scott Field.

With the game tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning, singles from Mason Salazar and Jude Vidrine as well as a Reed Seeley walk loaded the bases with two outs for Kevin Santana. ACU pitcher Nate Cole hit him on a 1-2 pitch to bring home the eventual winning run.

LU improved to 17-14 on the year and picked up its first Southland series victory of the season. The Cards are 4-7 in league play. ACU dropped to 12-15 and 2-3 in the conference.

After having a streak of six consecutive quality starts snapped, Chase Angelle returned to form, going 6.2 innings and allowing four runs (three earned). J.T. Autrey was credited with his fourth win of the year after picking up the last out of the seventh, and Danny Fernandez allowed one hit over the final six outs to pick up his fourth save.

The top of the line-up did a lot of the work for the Cards offensively, led by Vidrine’s 2-for-3 showing. The senior also scored twice and walked once. Seeley also had a two-hit outing with an RBI, and Sam Bumpers got on base twice, scoring once and knocking in another.

Both Salazar and Justin Eckols were 2-for-5 with a run, and as a team, LU out-hit the hosts 10-9.

The Red and White got on the board twice in the first as a Seeley double and Kyle Markum bases-loaded walk. After giving up a Wildcat score in the ensuing half-inning, Bumpers knocked in a run on an RBI bunt single to re-establish the two-run advantage.

An error allowed Eckols to score in the sixth, but a three-run seventh by ACU tied things up.

The Cards and Wildcats will close out the series on Sunday, and first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

#PeckEm