Final Stats

LAKE CHARLES, La. - After it was bottled up for a 2-0 loss in the first game of the twin bill, the Lamar offense punched eight across in the 8-2 night cap win against McNeese State on Saturday at Cowboy Diamond in Southland Conference baseball action.

The third game is still slated for 1 o'clock Sunday, but weather may alter plans. Any changes to the schedule will be decided late Saturday or early Sunday morning.

Lamar jumped on top for a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game two with a RBI triple down the left field line from Joe Arechiga that scored Mason Salazar. The exact same play happened in the fifth inning when Arechiga put a triple in the same spot to make it 2-0. Salazar reached on a single in the third and double in the fifth.

Later in the fifth Arechiga scored from third on Stijn van der Meer's ground out to shortstop Connor Lloyd.

The Cowboys cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth inning on a Cameron Toole's two-run shot over the left field wall that scored Kaleb Fontenot, who reached on a leadoff double over Kevin Santana's head in left field.

The Cardinals pushed it back out to a three-run lead on a two-run single to the center field from Jake Nash in the eighth inning. He scored van der Meer and Reed Seeley, both reached on singles that led off the inning.

Three more insurance runs scored in the ninth frame on Seeley's double to center field immediately after McNeese intentionally walked van der Meer to load the bases and get to him. CJ Moore, who reached on an infield single, was at third and Mason Salazar, who singled to right field, was on second.

Jayson McKinley (2-1) started on the mound for the Cardinals and worked 5.1 innings with two runs allowed on five hits and no walks. Through the first 12 batters, McKinley only surrendered one base runner, a single by Billy Sommers.

Danny Fernandez relieved him the sixth inning and worked 1.1 frames with one hit allowed. Derek Wade closed it out and earned his fourth save of the season. He gave up one hit and struck out a batter.

Ethan Stremmel (3-3) suffered the loss in 6.2 frames of work. He allowed three runs on six hits and a walk. Tyler Erickson pitched one-third of an inning and gave up a hit and run, and Cory LaPeze pitched 1.1 innings with four runs on five hits and a walk.

Tyler Day finished it out for the Pokes on two-thirds of an inning with a walk allowed.

Chase Angelle took a tough loss in the first game after another solid start for in the series-opening game. He pitched all eight innings and allowed two runs on eight hits. The senior stuck out four and did not walk a batter.

He gave up the first run in the first inning on a RBI-single to right field from cleanup hitter Lloyd. Lloyd pushed across Andrew Guillote, who singled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. McNeese's second run was scored in the third, again on a RBI-single from Lloyd. Joe Provezano scored on the play from second after he singled to right field.

Angelle fell to 4-4 on the year, and lost for the first time as the `Friday' starter.

Lamar had plenty of chances to score, but McNeese's starter Kaleb Fontenot was able to dance out of danger. The Cardinals left eight runners stranded in the game, five of the eight were in scoring position, and they were 1-5 when runners were in a situation to score.

Twice LU loaded the bases with two outs, but both times Fontenot was able to induce a groundball. He improved to 5-3 on the season with 6.2 innings of work and surrendered five hits. The junior started the game with eight straight retired, and then was able to run off two sets of six-in-a-row.

Erickson relieved him, but did not record a strike. Cole Prejean pitched 1.1 frames and gave up one hit, and Collin Kober recorded the save (8) with a perfect inning of work.

Salazar was 4-of-8 on the day with three runs scored, and Moore was 3-for-6 with one run. Reed Seeley drove in three in his 2-of-9 day and Joe Arechiga pushed across two in his two hits in three at-bats.

After McNeese, the Cardinals travel to third-ranked LSU on Wednesday at 6:30 before they return home for a Southland Conference showdown with Houston Baptist at Vincent-Beck Stadium. The first game of that three-contest set is scheduled for 6 o'clock.