Final Stats

BEAUMONT, Texas - It might be unusual to say that the first runs of eight scored in a game are the "most pivotal," but that's what the three runs that scored on Kyle Markum's double in the first inning were when the Lamar baseball team defeated Abilene Christian 8-4 on Saturday at Vincent-Beck Stadium in non-conference action.

The Cards' (13-13) second-straight win and sixth in seven games gave LU the series over the Wildcats (5-18). Lamar will go for the sweep at 1 o'clock on Sunday, and that game can be heard on KLVI 560 AM and can be seen on BigRedSN.com. Harold Mann will have the call for both.

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the first inning when Stijn van der Meer reach on an error, Reed Seeley on a single to left and Brandon Provost on a walk. ACU's starter Aaron Mason almost got out of the jam after back-to-back punchouts, but Markum rallied and doubled to left center field to score all three with two outs.

"Markum just really crushed the ball today and was very impressive," said head coach Jim Gilligan. "His double was the most pivotal at-bat in the game. I was proud that he stepped up in that moment."

He was 2-of-3 on the day with the three runs batted in and was issued a walk.

Lamar continued to pour it on in the second inning that started with a leadoff single up the middle from second baseman Mason Salazar. He reached second when CJ Moore, who was picked off shortly after, singled through the left side.

Salazar was held at second base, but three-straight Cardinal hits scored four to make it 7-2. The first hit of the run was Seeley's double down the left field line that scored Salazar. Seeley scored on a single up the middle from Provost, who scored on a triple to right center by Jake Nash. Nash would score when the right fielder threw an errant throw in an attempt to get him at third.

"We had the two big innings, and that allowed us to cruise a little bit. The runs pushed across was the 10th in the last eight games.

Between LU's big innings, the Wildcats scored two on a couple of singles and stolen bases along with an error. Russell Crippen reached on a single and was pushed to second on a grounder to the right side. Jordan Forrester singled into right and moved Crippen up to third, and both advanced on a double steal. Forrester scored from second on Lamar's first of three defensive mishaps.

ACU cut it to 7-3 in the sixth after a three-bagger from Crippen and error on a pickoff throw to get him. Lamar answered in the bottom of that frame make it 8-3 after back-to-back hits from van der Meer and Seeley scored one.

The final run of the game was notched in the seventh when Aaron Draper scored on a single from Aaron Copeland after he reached first on an infield error, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Danny Fernandez (4-2) took the win on five innings pitched and two runs, one earned, allowed. He gave up seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

"Danny was not in his best rhythm today, but he did get better," said Gilligan. "I pulled him early because I wanted to keep his pitch count down because we have an abbreviated week."

The next three-game series will be a Thursday, Friday and Saturday affair due to Easter, those game are in conference play against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

"Danny did a good job of not letting (ACU) sneak back into it," said Gilligan. "The two runs they scored on him should not have happened. We we're sloppy on defense, and it was the little things."

Will Hibbs relieved him in the sixth and worked 1.1 innings and gave up two runs, neither earned, on two hits and a walk. Derek Wade shut the door on the Wildcats and was one out from a save. He worked 2.2 innings with only two hits allowed.

Wade entered the ball game right after an odd play in the field. ACU had the bases loaded with no outs recorded, and Heath Bealsey lined a ball right at van der Meer, who had it and then dropped it. Van der Meer picked it up and tossed it to second baseman, Salazar, who then threw it home attempting to get the lead runner.

Neither the runner at third or second advanced because the play at second negated the force. Instead a double or possible triple play, LU only recorded on out. That left the bases loaded when Wade took the hill.

"They could have done some real damage in that inning, so for him to come in and only give up one run was big," said Gilligan. "He finishing the game really helped us too. He's done a great job and who knows where we'd be if it wasn't from him."

In the last 18 innings, LU has only surrendered one walk.

The Wildcats worked through five pitchers. Mason (0-5) started and worked two innings and gave up seven runs, four earned, on eight hits and two walks. Drew Hanson relieved him with three scoreless innings. Nick Cole, Brandon Lambright and Joe Gawrieh all worked an inning, and Cole surrendered one unearned run.

LU's Seeley was 4-of-5 and Nash was 2-for-5. Seeley finished with two RBI and two runs scored. Provost scored two and knocked in one.