Final Stats

LAKE CHARLES, La. - On a rain-soaked Sunday, three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning gave McNeese State a lead that it never relinquished in the 6-2 rubber match win over the Lamar baseball team on Sunday at Cowboy Diamond in Southland Conference action.

Lamar, which was sitting tied for eighth in the league standings at the start of the day, fell to 17-18 on the season and 6-9 in conference play, while McNeese improved to 22-15 and 12-6.

Lamar grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Joe Arechiga scored on Brandon Provost's groundout, but the Cowboy answered in the fourth, right before the game was delayed 45 minutes because of lightening in the area.

In the bottom of the fourth, LU pitcher Joe Farley had two outs, but buried a strikeout pitch in the turf that rolled away from catcher Brandon Provost. Provost picked up the ball and attempted to get the runner at first, but threw the ball into right field which allowed the hitter Billy Sommers to reach third base. Lucas Quary doubled him home, and the game was delayed before the next at-bat could start.

Once the delay was over, Enrique Oquendo took the mound and forced Matt Gallier to roll over to third base.

Oquendo worked a perfect fifth inning, but ran into trouble in the sixth and surrendered the lead to McNeese. James Cantu led off the inning with a double to left field and reached third on Connor Lloyd's infield single.

Connor Crane bounced a ball to Oquendo for the first out, but runners remained at second and third when Sommers doubled into right center and scored both runners. Sommers scored on a sacrifice bunt from Gallier and beat the ball to the plate.

Kevin Santana cut the lead to 4-2 in the seventh on a home run to left field, but Crane answered with homer of his own in the eighth to left field. McNeese tacked on another in that frame after Sommers' tripled to right field, which was only a triple because of the soaked outfield, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Quary.

Collin Chapman started the game for Lamar for the first time since 2013, and worked three scoreless innings- in a predetermined game. He gave up three hits, walked one out and struck out one. The defense behind him was huge for Chapman.

Two Cowboys were on first and second with no outs in the first, but Cantu popped up a bunt in foul territory that Provost laid out for and caught. Right after, Lloyd smoked a ball at second basemen Salazar, who caught it spun to second and doubled off the runner.

Same thing in the second inning, when Crane doubled to lead off the inning, but was caught trying to retreat when Sommers lined one at van der Meer.

Farley worked two-thirds of an inning, and gave up an unearned run. Oquendo took the loss and fell to 0-2 this season. He worked 1.2 frames and gave up three runs on four hits. Derek Wade finished the game and was responsible for the runs in the eighth on two hits.

Bryce Kingsley pitched 4.1 innings and surrendered one run on four hits and two walks. The Pokes' closer Collin Kober finished the contest and also gave up one run on four hits.

No Cardinal had more than one hit, but all but one of the starters recorded a base knock. Provost and Santana had runs batted in and Santana and Arechiga recorded runs scored.

The Cardinals return to the field on Wednesday when they are hosted by third-ranked LSU at 6:30 at Alex Box Stadium, and get back home on Friday at 6 o'clock for a Southland Conference showdown versus Houston Baptist.

Including HBU, Lamar has five SLC series left, three at home. Incarnate Word (April 17-18) and Stephen F. Austin (May 8-10) are at The Beck and conference leader Southeastern Louisiana (May 1-3) and Sam Houston State (May 14-16) are away from Vincent-Beck Stadium.