BEAUMONT, Texas – Will Davis' career as a head coach started in style, with a shutout. The skipper made all the right moves in Lamar University Baseball's season-opening 6-0 win Saturday morning at Vincent-Beck Stadium against Milwaukee in non-conference action at the Cardinal Classic.
 
Lamar (1-0) pitching, led by RHP Tanner Driskill's first win in a Cardinal uniform, held the Panthers (0-2) to five hits and only issued two walks in nine innings pitched. Driskill worked 6 2/3 innings with four hits allowed and struck out four with no walks.
 
Newcomer Chad Fleischman relieved him in the seventh and ended that inning with a ground ball to shortstop Phil Ingram, who made a flashy play in the third inning to get out of an early jam. Fleischman opened the eighth with another groundball, but a single and walk forced Davis to get closer Jimmy Johnson from the bullpen up 3-0. Johnson ended the bases-loaded threat with a strikeout of UWM leadoff hitter Billy Quirke. Josh Crain came in after LU scored three runs in the bottom of the frame and struck out the side in order to end the contest.
 
Reid Russell picked up where he left off last season with a first inning RBI that scored Cutter McDowell from second base. McDowell drew a one-out walk in the frame and took second on a wild pitch. In the fourth, newcomer Vincent Dellocono punched a single through the right side and pushed across Mike Leal – who reached on a one-out walk.
 
An inning later, Adames picked up his first RBI of the season with a sinking line drive to left field and sent him McDowell for his second run of the game.
 
A three-run eighth, largely produced by the bottom of LU's lineup, put the game out of reach. All-Southland catcher Bryndan Arredondo kicked it off with a single to right center field, and was followed by back-to-back singles from pinch hitter Chaneng Varela and second baseman Grant DeVore. DeVore's single up the middle scored Arredondo from second and both trail runners were able to move up a bag on the attempt for a play at the plate.
 
Ingram drew a walk to load the bases before a wild pitch allowed pinch runner Cole Girouard to score. After McDowell drew his third walk of the game to load them again and Trey Silvers drew a walk to make it 6-0.
 
Elijah Goodman (0-1) took the loss for Milwaukee on five innings. He gave up three runs on four hits allowed and four walks. Nick Winter relieved him with 2.1 innings of work and three runs on three hits.
 
Adames finished the game 2-of-4 with a RBI, and Arredondo (1-of-3), Russell (1-of-5), Varela (1-of-1), Devore (1-of-4) and Dellocono (1-of-3) all added hits.
 
The Cardinals will take the field against Saturday afternoon at approximately 4:00 p.m. for the night cap of their double header. They will faceoff against Illinois.