LAKE CHARLES, La. – Ciara Luna flirted with a perfect game, eventually setting for a four-hitter as the Lamar University Cardinals opened the 2016 Southland Conference Tournament with a 6-2 win over Sam Houston State on Wednesday.
 
Luna (16-7), the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, retired the first 12 batters she faced while the third-seeded Cardinals (33-20) built an early 3-0 lead over the sixth-seeded Bearkats (20-32). The Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the second on just one hit. Maddy Myers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate pinch runner Corina Thornton. Kelly Meeuwsen followed with a bases-loaded walk for her team-leading 41^st RBI of the season as Sable Hankins scored.
 
LU increased its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth as Stephanie Meeuwsen scored on a passed ball.
 
Luna saw her perfect-game attempt come to an end in the top of the fifth as Katie Doerre and Tiffany Castillo led off the inning with consecutive singles, eventually scoring on a single by Codi Carpenter to cut the LU lead to 3-2 before Luna retired the next two batters.
 
"Ciara was dominant for the first four innings," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "We talk about not giving up back-to-back hits, but that's what she did in the fifth. When you do that against good teams they are going to score, but she did a good job of bouncing back."
 
Luna allowed just one hit over the final two innings, while the Cardinals added one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
 
"The Sam Houston hitters did a good job of adjusting to my change-up, so it was up to me to make adjustments," Luna said. "I was able to do that, and our offense came through again."
 
Luna did not walk a batter while striking out seven as she ran her season total to 105 strikeouts.
 
Stephanie Meeuwsen has three hits to lead the LU attack, while Brittany Rodriguez and Ashley McDowell added two hits apiece.
 
Sam Houston State starter Lindsey McLeod (10-11) took the loss, allowing one hit and two runs over 2 1/3innings.
 
The Cardinals face second-seeded Nicholls at 4 p.m. Wednesday.