BEAUMONT, Texas – On senior Day, it was appropriate that the Lamar University Cardinals got some big contributions from its seniors in a record-setting win on Saturday.
 
Senior right-hander Lauren Dannelley started and got the win in the circle. Senior shortstop Stephanie Meeuwsen's two-run triple keyed a four-run third inning, while senior left fielder Sarah Ragsdale cut down the game-tying run at the plate in the sixth inning as the Cardinals posted their school-record 27^th win of the season in a 4-3 victory over visiting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a Southland Conference game at the LU Softball Complex.
 
"This is a special group of seniors, and I'm so happy that they were able to get a win on Senior Day," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "It's even more special that we are able to set a school record for wins as well."
 
It certainly wasn't the best of efforts for the Cardinals (27-15 overall, 14-4 Southland), who were held to just four hits while committing five errors on the day. Still, LU found a way to again win at home. The Cardinals are 15-1 at the LU Softball Complex this season, and 27-6 at the venue since it opened last season.
 
"We take pride in this place," Meeuwsen said. "We remember what it was like to play off campus for two years. We have a tremendous facility, and our fans are great. It was so much fun to play in front of a packed house today."
 
Meeuwsen, one of seven seniors honored in postgame ceremonies, capped off the four-run outburst in the third with a triple to left field that chased Texas A&M-Corpus Christi starter Colleen Bentke. It was her freshman sister, Kelly Meeuwsen, who first put the Cardinals on the board with her school-record 16^th double of the season to score senior Baylie Comeaux. Kelly Meeuwsen scored later in the inning on Ashley McDowell's sacrifice fly.
 
Dannelley (4-3) picked up the win, allowing four hits and two runs, both unearned, over four innings. She walked one and struck out four, giving her 102 strikeouts for her career, as she became the fourth pitcher in program history to eclipse the 100-strikeout mark.
 
Laura Napoli picked up her team-best fourth save of the year, as she worked the final three innings, allowing two hits and one run.
 
Down 4-2, the Islanders (13-26, 3-15) threatened in the sixth inning, loading the bases with two outs.  Cosette Hernandez singled down the left-field line to score pinch-runner Savannah Sandoval, but Ragsdale fired a perfect strike to catcher Brynn Baca, who applied the tag on a sliding Megan Mitchell to end the inning.
 
Napoli set the side down in order in the seven to finish off her fourth save of the season.
 
That was a great throw by Ragsdale, and give Brynn Baca credit for hanging in there," Bruder said. "I don't if I would want to be there with a runner barreling down on me."
 
Bentke (4-8) started and took the loss for the Islanders, allowing three hits and four runs, all earned, over 2 1/3 innings. Liz Carter pitched 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
After the game, the Cardinals honored their seven departing seniors: Morgan Buie, Comeaux, Dannelley, Holland, Marissa LeJune, Stephanie Meeuwsen and Ragsdale.
 
"This was an emotional day for me," Stephanie Meeuwsen said. "I know we have more home games and we're still playing for a conference championship, but seeing all the love we got today was special."
 
The Cardinals end the weekend in second place in the conference, one game behind McNeese State, and a half-game ahead of Nicholls with nine games to play. LU runs the gantlet of the conference's top teams in the final three weeks of the season. LU is at defending conference champion Central Arkansas for a three-game series starting Friday. After that, McNeese State pays its first-ever visit to the LU Softball Complex on April 29-30 before LU closes out the regular season at Nicholls on May 6-7.
 
We have a tough three weekends ahead of us," Bruder said. "We are in a hitting funk that we have to get out of. We have to play better than we did today. It's not too often when you win when you have four hits and make five errors."
 
Because of the forecast for heavy rain in the area on Tuesday, the Cardinals announced their non-conference game vs. visiting UT Arlington has been changed to 2 p.m. April 27. For ticket information, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE.