Final Stats

BEAUMONT, Texas - A pitcher's duel and shootout were played at Vincent-Beck Stadium in a Saturday double header, and Northwestern State took both contests 9-6 and 3-1 to sweep the Lamar baseball team in the Southland Conference opening series.

The big hit for the Demons (8-7, 3-0 Southland Conference) came in the six-run sixth inning and was a three-run double down the left field line, which made it a 8-4 after the inning started with a 4-2 Cardinal (7-9, 0-3) lead.

David Fry singled through the left side and pushed across Chase Daughdrill, which tied it, and Matthew Alford, which gave the Demons a 5-4 lead. Lucas followed Fry with a hit by pitch, and both scored along with Joel Atkinson on Heath's triple.

Lamar tried to get the runs back in the bottom of the sixth, but fell short. Reed Seeley doubled to right center and took third on a grounder in the next at-bat. Pinch-hitter Kevin Santana punched one to center field that pushed across Seeley, and he scored on Justin Eckols' single through the right side.

A double play ended the threat from Lamar in the sixth as well as on in the seventh inning.

Lamar scored first in the bottom of the opening frame on three singles in five batters. Stijn van der Meer led off with a single to left and scored on a sacrifice fly from Jake Nash in the cleanup spot. Brandon Provost reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. He scored on Seeley's single into center field.

Northwestern State tied it in the top of the second, but Lamar answered in the bottom of the frame on an RBI fielder's choice from van der Meer that knocked in Brendan Satran, who reached on a one-out single. The Cardinals added another in the fifth inning when NSU catcher CJ Webster attempted to pickoff van der Meer at the third, but hit the runner's heel and watched it roll into left field.

Chase Angelle (1-2) started the game on the mound for Lamar, and worked 5.2 innings with five runs allowed on nine hits and two strikeouts. He was relieved by Will Hibbs in the sixth, and he finished contest with four runs allowed on four hits and two strikeouts.

Josh Oller (3-0) was the starting pitcher for Northwestern State and pitched 5.1 innings and gave up 6 runs, five earned, on 11 hits and three strikeouts. Chase Hymel took over in the sixth and finished with no runs allowed.

The Demons jumped out to 2-0 lead after two innings in the night cap, first on a single up the middle form Cort Brinson that pushed across Nick Heath in the opening frame. The second was a RBI single off the bat of Atkinson that scored Fry, who was plunked by a pitch.

Lamar cut it to 2-1 in the when Kyle Markum knocked in Reed Seeley with a single to left field. Seeley led off the inning with a double down the left field line. NSU added an insurance run in the seventh inning on a single into right field from Chase Daughdrill that scored Heath.

Four pitchers worked for Lamar, both starter Eric Foshee and Derek was pitched three innings. Foshee (3-0) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk. Oquendo relieved him in the fourth for two innings and allowed only one hit and walked four.

Joe Farley pitched an inning and allowed the run in the seventh before Wade entered and finished the contest with only one hit allowed.

Jeffery Stovall (2-1) put up a quality start on six innings. He allowed 10 hits, one run and stuck out two. Hunter Duvic relieved him and gave up one hit and struck out on, and Brandon Smith finished the match and earned his second save of the season on one hit and had a strikeout.

The Cardinals travel to 11th ranked Rice on Tuesday for a 6:30 first pitch before they open their second Southland Conference series at Central Arkansas on Friday at 1 o'clock. The stretch starts a 10-game road swing for Lamar.