BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, but Nicholls found an out in a key situation – as it had for much of the game – when the Colonels downed the Cardinals 5-4 at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Southland Conference action. The loss gave Nicholls the series win.
 
Down 5-4 – after Trey Silvers' two-run blast cut the lead in the seventh inning – Reid Russell led off the ninth with a single up the middle. He was replaced by pinch runner Payton Robertson. After Russell, Robin Adames ripped a ball to center field that stayed up for just long enough as Nicholls' (23-23, 10-11) Gavin Wehby made a play heading into a slide. Adames' at-bat was a 10-pitch series.
 
Two batters later with two outs, Bryndan Arredondo drew a walk that put two on for Chad Fleischman, who got under a pitch and popped one up to end the game. The two batters left on were two of 11 Cardinals (26-19, 12-12) that were stranded on base in the game, six of which were in scoring position.
 
Cardinal pitching also opened the door for Nicholls with three hit batters in the game, and all three worked their way around to score. Tied at 1-1 in the third inning, Juan Givan was plunked by a pitch with one out, and two batters later Gage Teer was hit to with two outs. Quade Smith prevailed in the next at-bat with a triple to right center that put Nicholls up 3-1.
 
In the sixth, Teer was hit by a pitch again to lead off the inning, and he scored when Chet Niehaus blasted a pitch that went over the right field wall. That home run put the Colonels up 5-2, just after Lamar cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk issued to Phil Ingram.
 
In the fifth, Adames reached on a one-out single to right center and worked to third base on a walk to Arredondo and single from Fleischman. Ingram was up in the count 3-1 when he took the walk.
 
The Cardinals opened up the game first with a run in the first inning. McDowell led off the frame with a single to right field. Two batters later, Adames followed with a single into left center and Silvers was plunked by a pitch to load the bags. Arredondo put LU up 1-0 with a single through the left side, but the bags were left loaded with back-to-back punch outs.
 
Adames led the Cardinals – who outhit Nicholls 10-7 in the game – with three hits in five at-bats, and had two runs. McDowell finished his afternoon with two hits in five at-bats with a run scored. Silvers was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored.
 
Jace Campbell (3-3) took the loss on three innings of work. He allowed three runs on four hits, no walks and two hit batters. He struck out three Colonels. Tanner Driskill came in from the bullpen and hurled six frames with three hits allowed, two runs, two walks and struck out two.
 
Michael Hanchar started the game for the Colonels, and fell just short of getting the win. He fired 4 2/3 innings with two runs allowed on seven hits and three walks. Daniel Goff (3-2) earned the win with two runs on two hits in 2 1/3 innings of work. Adam Tarver (7) took the save after he fired 1 1/3 innings with one hit and one walk allowed, both in the ninth inning.
 
The Cardinals return to action on Wednesday, weather permitting, at 6:30 in Houston at Rice. That will be the finale midweek game of the year for Lamar – who stays out of conference over the weekend in a three-game at Oklahoma State. LU returns to Southland action at home against Stephen F. Austin on May 12.