BEAUMONT, Texas – With a combined six runs scored in two games Saturday, pitchers ruled once again in a doubleheader featuring Lamar University (3-5) and Hofstra University (2-2). The Cardinals held a 1-0 lead through eight innings of the first game only to fall 3-2 in extras, and the Pride took a 1-0 lead the distance in a scheduled seven-inning game, throwing out a runner at home to prevent extra innings.

"It was pitching conditions today," said head coach Will Davis. "We have a very young offense, and these kinds of growing pains are going to happen. We've played seven freshmen, and we have 21 new guys on the team. The good news is that our pitching is really good and that we'll be in a lot of games. We just have to grow as an offense. It's certainly not an indictment of our team. We played really great defense, especially Mike Leal in right field with a couple of great double plays. Just three earned runs in 35 innings is pretty great."

Game 3 – Hofstra 3, Lamar 2 – 10 innings
Lamar struck early in Saturday's first game, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Chase Whetsel singled through the pitcher's ankles, then advanced on a passed ball. A single by Chad McKinney with one out put runners on the corners, and a sac bunt from Payton Robertson pushed Whetsel across and McKinney on second. McKinney advanced again on a wild pitch but was stranded on third after a ground out.

Pitching was again a strong suit for Lamar, holding Hofstra off the board until there were only two outs left in the ninth inning. Grason Wright wowed in his debut as a starter, striking out three in four scoreless innings. Marcus Olivarez continued to bring his ERA down with two scoreless innings of work and two strikeouts, and Chet Jones had as stellar performance as well, striking out four Pride batters with no walks, no hits, and just one hit-by-pitch.

Tanner Driskill came in to close out the game in the ninth with Lamar still holding a 1-0 lead, but a bit of bad luck kept the game from going Lamar's way in the end. Two singles, a wild pitch, and an error in the top of the ninth opened the door for Hofstra; the Pride turned that into a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Robertson reached on an error with one out, then scored on a double by Grant DeVore on a 3-2 count. DeVore reached third on a grounder from Cole Coker, and Cole Secrest joined DeVore on the base paths when the freshman center fielder was intentionally walked. Secrest reached second on defensive indifference with Robin Adames at the plate, but Adames hit into a 6-3 groundout that ended the Cardinal threat and sent the game to extras.

After Hofstra's Devon Jeffreys reached on an error with one out, a double by Rob Weissheier scored Jeffreys, putting Hofstra ahead 3-2. Driskill got his ninth strikeout of the year to end the inning and give Lamar one more chance to tie or win the game.

In a pinch hit for Cole Girouard, Rhett McCall singled through the left side to lead off the 10th. Tyrese Clayborne then pinch ran for McCall, and Clayborne advanced to second when Chad Fleischman was walked with one out. Mitch Andrew bunted into a fielder's choice that got Clayborne out at third but put runners on first and second, but back-to-back flyouts ended the game.

Game 4 – Hofstra 1, Lamar 0 – 7 innings
Jack Dallas, AbeRee Hiebert, and Kristjan Storrie blazed through 30 Hofstra batters in the series finale, combining for five strikeouts, five hits, and just one earned run. But that run proved to be the difference with Hofstra's Seamus Brazill going toe-to-toe with the Cardinal battery. The Pride's 6'9" starter threw a complete-game no-hitter, striking out five while allowing four walks and beaning one.

The only offense of the game came in the top of the fifth inning. Austin Gauthier singled to left off Dallas, then stole second immediately after Hiebert relieved Dallas. Steven Foster drew a walk, and both Hofstra base runners advanced on a ground out to Hiebert by Mikey Riesner. An intentional walk of Vito Friscia loaded the bases, and a sac fly by Teddy Cillis scored Gauthier. Had it not been for Secrest's stellar diving catch in center field, the hit by Cillis could have easily cleared the bases. Instead a line out by Weissheier ended the inning with Hofstra leading 1-0.

"The winds were blowing in at 25 miles per hour and we hit too many fly balls," said Davis. "We only struck out five times, so it wasn't like we were getting dominated. It was just one of those weird things. In this ballpark when the wind blows in like that it can be very un-offensive. And we were in the game, so we weren't worried about [the no hitter]. We were worried about the tying run. That's got to be one of the first no-hitters in history to end at the plate."

Lamar came closest to breaking up the no-hitter in its final opportunity, the bottom of the seventh inning. Mitch Andrews drew a one-out walk on a 3-2 count, then subbed out for Cole Girouard to pinch run. Girouard stole second and was joined on base when Mike Leal drew a five-pitch walk. With runners on first and second and one out, Whetsel hit a grounder towards the shortstop. He reached on a fielder's choice as Leal expired at second, and it looked like Girouard would score as he was waved home from third. But the throw from first just beat Girouard home, ending the game and preserving Hofstra's 1-0 win.

"We had an opportunity to score on Sunday with that same play and we didn't take advantage of it," said Davis. "Give Hofstra credit. They were waiting for that play and made the throw. But I thought that the send by [hitting coach Scott] Hatten was the best opportunity to score. You're certainly not going to wait around for another hit. If we'd caught them napping or pulled'em off the base it would be an easy run that would have tied the game and we'd still be playing, but these things happen."

Lamar is back in action Tuesday and Wednesday at Tulane, then will return home for a non-conference weekend series against UTRGV.