BEAUMONT, Texas – Leading 3-2 in the top of the ninth with two outs, a two-run homer on an 0-2 count gave Abilene Christian (19-19, 5-16 SLC) a 4-3 lead over Lamar University (13-27, 8-13 SLC) before the Cards came back and tied it in the bottom of the ninth. Neither team scored over the next three innings, but the Wildcats escaped with a 5-4 win in the 13th inning Sunday.
 
It seemed as if the game would be a slugfest early on. Abilene took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on two hits only for Lamar to tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer from Robin Adames. The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the second on four straight singles from Grant DeVore, Avery George, Chad McKinney, and Philip Ingram, and after two innings Lamar led 3-1. A solo homer in the top of the third pulled ACU back within a run, 3-2, but neither team could score over the next five innings, stranding 15 runners on base between the two teams.
 
Jason Blanchard was largely effective Sunday, striking out seven in six innings with six hits and two earned runs. The junior allowed two walks and had one hit-by-pitch. Taylor Rich relieved Blanchard in the seventh and got a great double play from Grant DeVore and Ingram that took out a runner on second, and Jace Campbell relieved Rich after the first out of the eighth, striking out two to strand Wildcats on first and second.
 
In the bottom of the eighth Lamar came close to scoring an insurance run. Cole Coker doubled to left with one out and reached third on a pop fly from Logan LeJeune, but a grounder stranded him just 90 feet away from home.
 
Campbell struck out the first Wildcat in the ninth before hitting the next batter in the foot. A fly out to left put the second out on the board, and Campbell had Dalon Farkas down to his final pitch, an 0-2 count, before Farkas caught ahold of a pitch. With the winds driving hard out towards left center what should have been a flyout to Cole Girouard in center just carried over the outstretched glove of the centerfielder. Campbell forced a foulout on the final Wildcat but ACU had a 4-3 lead.
 
DeVore led off with a walk in the bottom of the inning and reached second when George reached on an error. Ingram ran out a throw to first after smacking a bunt down the first base line for a bunt single, loading the bases, and a sac fly from Girouard scored DeVore. But a strikeout ended the Cardinal rally, and the game headed to the 10th tied 4-4.
 
Jack Dallas wowed through four extra innings of relief, striking out eight while walking none. He allowed four hits and just one earned run, but that proved to be the difference.
 
Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the 13th inning George drew a five-pitch walk. The freshman reached second on a sac bunt from McKinney and advanced to third on a flyout by Ingram. Girouard tried to sneak one by the Wildcat first baseman but the ACU defense held. The first baseman snagged the ball and threw to the awaiting pitcher covering first, just beating Girouard.
 
The loss ends a six-game win streak for Lamar, but the Cardinals still exit the weekend with their second consecutive series win. They'll travel to #19 LSU (24-13) on Tuesday, play at Southern (6-26) on Wednesday, and start a three-game Southland Conference series on Friday at Nicholls in what could be a battle for the final SLC tournament slot.