Final Stats

BEAUMONT, Texas - Lamar maximized its first trip through the order, that was capped off by Mason Salazar's three-run triple and CJ Moore's two-run home run, and piled on nine runs in the first inning to gain a large lead in a 11-4 win over Grambling State Tuesday night at Vincent-Beck in non-conference baseball action.

Already down 2-0 at the outset of the bottom of the first, the Cardinals (16-16) scored nine runs in the first nine at-bats of the game. Stijn van der Meer led it off with a single to the shortstop, and he was followed by singles from Reed Seeley, Brandon Provost, Kyle Markum, Kevin Santana and Jake Nash.

Markum, Santana and Nash's hits each drove in one run. Brendan Satran was hit by a pitch to load the bases, because Markum scored on a wild pitch, for Salazar who cleared the bases with a triple to right field that two-hopped the wall. It did not take long before Salazar scored on Moore's shot over the left center wall.

Still with no outs and nine runs given in the first nine batters, Tiger (4-23) starter Coleman Mckinney (1-3) - took the loss- was pulled from the game for Brennan Williams, who gave up a single to van der Meer. Van der Meer was rolled up in a double play, and Williams worked out of the inning without any more damage.

"That first inning was incredible. I was down in the bullpen the whole time watching," said 39-year head coach Jim Gilligan. "We had a few seeing-eye hits and a hit by pitch, but that has at least tie a record for runs after nine hitters. To do that you have to have the nine-hole hitter have a home run.

"I hope we can keep those big innings coming because it helps take the pressure off," he said.

Williams pitched another two scoreless innings before giving up an unearned run in the fourth inning on single from Salazar that drove in Kevin Santana. Santana reached on an infield error.

Lamar's final run was in the seventh inning when Markum lined a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Moore. Seeley and Justin Eckols singled in the inning to move Moore to third base after his single that led off the frame.

Eric Foshee (2-3), who was the pitcher of record and claimed the win, started the contest for Lamar and worked two inning. He allowed two runs- both in the first- on two hits and a walk.

Grambling loaded the bases to start the game on a single from Edwin Drexler, walk to Angel Peguero and hit by pitch to Larry Barraza. Drexler was able to score on a wild pitch, and Robert Lopez grounded out and pushed across Peguero.

Will Hibbs relieved him in the third, and gave up back-to-back hits to Drexler and Peguero, which landed them at second and third. Drexler scored his second run of the game on a groundout from Barraza.

Ryan Cawthon, Brandon Kirkham and Kyle Leggett combined for two scoreless innings and allowed only one walk. Cawthon threw a perfect inning.

Brett Brown took the hill in the sixth and surrendered one run on two hits and a walk. Yariel Medina led off the frame with a single to center and scored on Drexler's RBI-single to left field

Joe Farley, Galen Andrews and Enrique Oquendo finished the game with 3.1 scoreless, hitless innings. Farley was on the hill for 1.1 frames, and Andrews and Oquendo each worked one.

"(The big innings) are just convenient because guys got some work in might not have had that opportunity if the game was close," said Gilligan. "So when we opened it up, that allowed us to do some extra things."

Moore set a career high for hits in a game after he was 4-for-5 with two runs driven in and two scored. He had a three hit game in the season opener, also the last time he hit a homer. Van der Meer was 3-of-6 at the plate with a run scored. Seeley, Nash and Salazar, who had four RBI, each had two hits.

Santana was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and Markum was 1-of-4 with a runs scored and two RBI.

"We've been swinging pretty good as of late," said Gilligan.

The Cardinals open a crucial Southland Conference series on Friday with nearby rival McNeese State at 6 o'clock. McNeese is third in the league standings, and Lamar is 10th.