Final Stats

BEAUMONT, Texas - Charged behind Kevin Santana's fireworks at the plate and Danny Fernandez's stuff on the mound, the Lamar baseball team rebounded to defeat New Mexico State 9-2 in the nightcap after suffering an 8-1 loss to Illinois on Saturday at Vincent-Beck Stadium in the Cardinal Classic.

Santana, who homered for the lone run in game one for Lamar (2-1), hit another solo bomb in the second game to left field in the fifth inning. The first hit in his 2-for-5 contest was a single in the second frame to right field. He later scored when Tyler Sullivan singled to left field two batters later.

Santana on the day was 3-of-7 with three runs scored and two knocked in.

"The first night (Friday) he was coming out of his swing, as were a few guys, and he really made his adjustments look good today," said head coach Jim Gilligan. "I am pleased with his approach. He's a middle of the lineup kind of guy, and we're going depend on him to carry us at times and he has the ability to do that."

The five (Santana), six (Cutter McDowell) and seven (Sullivan) hole hitters combined to go 5-of-10 with two homers (McDowell with the other), four runs scored, four driven in and five walks in the nightcap.

Fernandez (1-0) pitched six innings and allowed two runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Through the first 13 batters, the senior righty only allowed two base runners.

"I thought (Fernandez) was magnificent tonight. We were trying to save as much for (Sunday) as possible," said Gilligan. "(Derek) Wade did a great job of going in there and finishing it up. We didn't have to use our lefties, and those guys will be important to us tomorrow."

Wade pitched worked three shutout innings and struck out six batters. Fernandez finished the contest with 94 pitches and Wade had 50.

Stijn van der Meer was clutch in game two for the Cardinals with two triples that knocked in two runs, and he scored on one. His first triple, which was in the second inning, knocked in McDowell, who walked, and Mason Salazar, who reached on a fielder's choice.

He led off the sixth inning with a triple down the right field line and scored two batters later when Brandon Provost hit a grounder deep to the shortstop. Provost had two base knocks in the game, a double in the third inning and single in the eighth.

"We're alright. We still have a lot of things that we still have to get better at," said Gilligan. "Overall today I thought we were pretty good."

In the first contest, the Cards started off strong behind left-handed pitcher Chase Angelle's start. He allowed back-to-back singles in the first inning, but stranded them a first and third, and the proceeded to sit down the next 10-straight batters.

The streak ended with Ryan Nagle's double into left center field, which was followed by a walk to Casey Fletcher. With men on first and third, David Kerian singled through the left side, but Angelle limited the damage to that.

Illinois' (3-0) lead grew to 3-0 after Reed Roper smoked a triple to the center field wall and scored Ryne Roper, who walked, and Adam Walton, who reached on a single.

"We had a good ball game going. Chase did a phenomenal job," said Gilligan. "(UI's guy) had a good moving fastball and really looked at home on the mound.

"Chase hung in the ball game all day until one breaking ball left up that opened the ball game up," he said.

John Kravetz, the Illini starter, was perfect through three and two-thirds innings and held the Cardinals hitless until the eighth inning when Santana popped a bomb over the right center field wall. He worked 7.2 innings and allowed only two hits, the one run, and no walks and had five strikeouts.

He was pulled three batters after Santana's dinger.

"(Kravetz) just ate us up all day," said Gilligan.

The game unraveled for Big Red in the eighth inning, which started with Pat McInerney's leadoff homer to left field and was capped by Jason Goldstein's two-run bomb to left field. Will Krug scored from third base on a wild pitch and Walton scored on a single to left field from Reed Roper.

Ryan Cawthon had three innings of work and allowed four runs on seven hits.

Illinois and Lamar will square off again at 11 o'clock Sunday morning in the finale of the Cardinal Classic at Vincent-Beck Stadium. UI is expected to throw All-American Tyler Jay, and he will be opposed by freshman Eric Foshee.