BATON ROUGE, La. – On a season-high 14 runs and a season-best 21 hits Lamar University (14-28) took down Southern University (8-28) in 10 innings on Wednesday. The Cardinals overcame leads by the Jags in the third, fourth, and sixth innings to win in a four-hour game.
 
"We overcame adversity tonight on a great offense," said head coach Will Davis. "Phil and Cole [Girouard] had career nights, and anytime Grant DeVore goes three-for-six and you don't even notice it because of what happened at the top of the order it's a good night. Logan was 2-for-5 for three RBI, and it was just a really solid performance offensively."
 
Lamar got off to a hot start in the first when the Cards scored two runs on two hits. Philip Ingram drew a lead-off walk and reached second on a bunt single from Girouard. Both Cardinals stole during Cole Coker's at-bat before a sac fly from Coker scored Ingram and put Girouard on third. A two-out single down the right field line from Logan LeJeune scored Girouard before a strikeout ended the inning. Two hits and a sac bunt from the Jaguars scored one, but after the first inning Lamar led 1-0.
 
Avery George collected a one-out single in the second but was caught stealing and Southern put two more across in the bottom of the inning. A lead-off double reached third on wild pitch before a single brought him home. The runner on first was caught stealing, but the next Jaguar homered over the left field fence to give Southern University a 3-2 lead through two innings.
 
Girouard collected his second hit of the day by leading off the third with a single to left, and Robin Adames imitated Girouard with a single to almost the same spot, pushing Girouard to second. A 1-3 grounder from Chad Fleischman advanced both Cardinals and a sac fly from LeJeune scored Girouard. Heading into the bottom of the inning the score was tied at 3-3. Southern took one back on a double and a wild pitch and led 4-3 through three innings.
 
A big fourth inning put Lamar back in the driver's seat. Grant DeVore opened the inning with a single to centerfield but expired on a fielder's choice from Avery George. George stole second during Chad McKinney's at-bat and came home on a single to right from Ingram with two outs. Girouard earned his third hit of the night on a double to right that put runners on the corners and Adames singled both Ingram and Girouard home. Chet Jones got his third strikeout of the night as he sat the Jaguars down in order, and Lamar led 6-4 through four innings.
 
Neither team scored in the fifth inning as Jones once again sat the Jags down in order, but Southern fought back in the bottom of the sixth. Consecutive walks with no outs were both brought home on a three-run homer to left. Kristjan Storrie got the next three Jags out on a strikeout, a 5-3 bunt, and a 6-3 grounder, but Southern now led 7-6 through six innings.
 
Southern grew its lead in the bottom of the seventh. The Jags led off with back-to-back singles and a wild pitch advanced both runners. An error on a dropped fly ball scored one Jaguar and froze the other on second. A wild pitch strikeout got the first out of the inning but advanced both runners, and the Cards got the second out on a flyout. The throw home on that flyout sailed over McKinney's head though, scoring another unearned run for Southern. After seven innings the Jaguars led 9-6.
 
A huge eighth inning rally again lifted Lamar into the lead. George singled to right center on an 0-2 count and was joined on the base paths when McKinney was walked. An error loaded the bases with Ingram on first, McKinney on second, and George on third before Girouard doubled McKinney and George home. A sac fly from Adames tied the game at 9-9, and two-out singles from LeJeune, Cole Secrest, and DeVore gave Lamar a two-run lead, 11-9, before the run ended on a 6-3 grounder.
 
Ryan Erickson's scoreless April came to an end in the bottom of the eighth. After he struck out the first Jaguar he walked the second and pegged the third before striking out the fourth. The fifth batter he faced worked a seven-pitch at-bat into a single up the middle that scored one Jaguar, but Lamar held a tenuous 11-10 lead through eight innings.
 
Lamar tied a season high with its 12th run on a season-best 17th hit in the top of the ninth. McKinney drew a walk to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a double from Ingram. An error in Girouard's at-bat scored McKinney, and Big Red led 12-10 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Southern answered with three hits and a sac fly, tying the game at 12-12.
 
Big Red entered new season scoring territory in the top of the 10th. DeVore singled but was struck down on a fielder's choice from George. A double down the line from McKinney scored George and Ingram singled to center field to put Cards on the corners. A single from Girouard, his fifth of the night, scored McKinney, but Girouard ran past Ingram on the play and was called out after the hit. After Adames wore one a flyout from Fleischman ended the inning with Lamar leading 14-12. Southern was able to put a runner in scoring position with one out, but Jack Dallas forced the Jags to hit into a double play to end the game. Lamar won 14-12 in 10 innings.

The Cardinals will return to action Friday in the first of three Southland Conference games against Nicholls in Thibodaux, La. The series could determine the final spot in the SLC postseason tournament.