BEAUMONT, Texas – A season-high six runs scored in the fifth inning paved the way for the fifth-consecutive win for Lamar University (12-26, 7-12 SLC). The Cardinals took down Abilene Christian University (18-18, 4-15 SLC) in a 7-5 victory Friday night.

"The fifth inning was great," said head coach Will Davis. "Incredible situational stuff; Avery George and Cole Girouard came out at 1:45 p.m. for 40 minutes and practiced bunting and both of them had bunt hits, so I guess we'll be doing that again tomorrow. Chad McKinney had a great hit and DeVore got us going with a double, and I'm probably leaving some stuff out here because we had 10 guys appear at the plate in that inning, but it was really great. That inning ultimately won us the ball game."

Tanner Driskill stepped up yet again for Big Red, earning his third straight win in six and two-thirds innings of work. The senior from Round Rock, Texas, allowed two earned runs off seven hits while walking two and striking out two, his 99th and 100th career strikeouts. Jack Dallas got the final out of the seventh on a 1-4-3 groundout, and Ryan Erickson got his second save of the year in an inning and a third of scoreless baseball.

The Cardinals will terrific defensively in the early innings. In both the first and the second ACU got runners on, but both times they were struck down by Chad McKinney when trying to steal. Due to stellar pitching and the great defense behind him, Driskill faced the minimum through the first four innings.

Though LU didn't score until the fifth, the Cards came close to blowing the game open early. Philip Ingram opened the game with a single to left and reached second on a sac bunt from Cole Girouard. A two-out single past the shortstop by Cole Coker pushed Girouard to third, and Logan LeJeune drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. A strikeout ended the Cardinal threat, and the game remained scoreless until the fifth.

Grant DeVore got the party started in the fifth with a lead-off double down the left field line. A bunt single from Avery George put runners on the corners with no outs, and Chad McKinney got his fourth RBI of the year on the first pitch he saw, singling through the left side to score DeVore. With Cardinals on first and second and no outs Ingram drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases, and a sac fly from Girouard gave Lamar a 2-0 lead. Robin Adames doubled to center field to clear the bases for a 4-0 Lamar lead and ran the pitcher, and Coker singled up the middle on the first pitch from the reliever, scoring Adames. DeVore fittingly capped off the scoring in the inning with a two-out single through the left side that scored Coker. After five Lamar led 6-0.

Down six runs in the top of the seventh, Abilene attempted to scrap back into the game. A lead-off single reached third on a double by the next Wildcat, and a third hit scored both the ACU base runners. That single turned into a third run on a three-base error, and ACU was within striking distance with no outs. Driskill sandwiched strikeouts around an error and a single, and Dallas relived Driskill with runners on first and second with two outs. A line drive on a 1-0 count angled off Dallas's outstretched glove and rolled directly to DeVore, who deftly tossed to Adames before the runner reached. Heading into the bottom of the seventh Lamar led by just three, 6-3.

A one-out single by LeJeune got the Cardinal bats hot again in the bottom of the seventh. Cole Secrest followed his example in the next at-bat, singling through the left side. DeVore earned his second RBI of the night on his third hit, doubling down the right field line. After seven Lamar led 7-3.

Four Wildcat hits in the top of the eighth scored two more runs before Erickson was able to slam the door shut, and Lamar took a 7-5 decision for its fifth straight win. The Cards will go for the series win and the sixth straight when Noah Sills (2-4, 4.06 ERA) takes the mound against RHP Jonathan Nicholson (2-4, 5.00 ERA).