BEAUMONT – The script flipped on the No. 25 Lamar University baseball team Saturday afternoon. Friday night the Cardinals took a 5-1 decision after a big four-run first inning, and Saturday it was McNeese State's turn when it put up a five-spot in the fifth inning to grab a 5-4 win at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Southland Conference action.
 
Lamar (26-9, 11-3 Southland Conference) starter Billy Love (3-2) was dealing at the start of the ball game. The senior had worked perfect innings in the first, third and fourth, and worked out of a jam in the second with runners on the corners. He retired the first batter he faced in the fifth, which gave him nine-straight retired, but the Cowboys (21-12, 11-6) were able to get to him after he issued a one-out walk.
 
Dustin Duhon drew the walk and was able to advance to third base when Will Fox singled into right center.  Cameron Toole loaded the bases after wearing a pitcher, but Love looked like he had the inning in control when the second out of the inning was recorded on a fielder's choice to first baseman Jake Nash.  Nash made the throw to the plate to cut down Duhon.
 
Still with the bases loaded, Shane Selman laced one through the left side to score one, and Connor Crain did the exact same to add another two and grab a 3-2 lead at that point. Love was lifted from the game for Enrique Oquendo, and Joe Provezano greeted him with a single to right that scored Selman and put Crane at third. Crane notched the final run of the inning on a passed ball that got through the wickets of Bryndan Arredondo's mitt and pushed the Cowboy lead to 5-2.
 
"Billy didn't have his best stuff today," said head coach Jim Gilligan. "He wasn't the same guy he was last week down in Corpus. We need to find out what the difference is.
 
"Today we were flat on the mound," he said. "(McNeese) did a great job of swinging the bats. They hit a lot of balls hard today and made some good adjustments.
 
The Cardinals nearly rallied in the sixth inning, but a bang-bang play at first base that didn't swing in LU's favor and gave the Pokes a favorable position.
 
Jake Nash roped a sinking line drive to left field and took second when Arredondo was walked, his second of the game. Reid Russell picked up a RBI when he sent home Nash from second on a single, and two batters later Cutter McDowell loaded the bases by drawing a walk.
 
In the next at-bat, Jacoby Middleton swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a dribbler that rolled between home plate and third base, McNeese State reliever Trent Fontenot picked up the ball and slung it to first in a close play. He pushed Arredondo home, but Middleton was called out leaving runners on second and third with two outs. Chaneng Varela hit a fly ball to central in the next at-bat.
 
McNeese Starter Bryan King (4-1) worked into that sixth inning, but was pulled after Russell's single. He was credited with five-plus innings of work with four runs allowed on five hits and two walks. Love took the loss on 4.2 innings with four earned runs allowed on four hits and two walks.
 
Enrique Oquendo was great after he settled into the game. He worked 3.1 frames with two hits allowed and struck out three. Fernando Martinez relieved him in the ninth and pitched a full inning with just a walk allowed.
 
"Enrique looked a little off when he first got in, but was normal when he settled in," said Gilligan. "We just need to make sure we are getting out of the bullpen ready to go."
 
MSU's Collin Kober pitched two innings with one hit allowed and recorded his sixth save of the year.
 
Lamar jumped out to the early lead after two first inning runs. Russell led off the inning with a slow-rolling single to the right side. He took second base when Middleton was hit by a pitch, and both advanced when Chaneng Varela singled deep to the shortstop.
 
Brendan Satran singled to right center and scored the Russell and Middleton.
 
Russell had a three-hit day, the third of his career at Lamar, which was half of the Cardinals' six-hit total. Nash, Varela and Satran had the other three. The most notable name missing is Stijn van der Meer's, who had his 24-game hit streak and 32-game on-base streak snapped Saturday.
 
Sunday's rubber match is still scheduled for 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Both teams have yet to announce a pitcher for the series finale.