BEAUMONT, Texas - The baseball gods just weren't with Lamar University (3-3) Friday in its game against Central Michigan University (4-2). The Cards collected eight hits offensively but bad hops into double plays limited that to just two runs, and even though LU's pitchers struck out 11 while allowing just five hits, three unearned runs scored for CMU. In the end the Chippewas escaped with a 4-2 win over the Cards at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

"Today I thought that Central Michigan was just a little bit better than us in all phases of the game," said head coach Will Davis. "They pitched just a little better, played slightly better on defense, and the hitting was about even but they got clutch hits in the fourth and we couldn't get a clutch hit this time around. They're a good team and I knew coming in that we'd have our hands full with what could be the best pitching team in the conference if they played in the Southland. I knew it would be a big challenge and they just barely came out on top in a pitcher's duel."

Tough luck dogged Lamar through the game. Avery George led of the game with a single through the right side, stretching his on-base streak to 16 games as a carry over from 2018. He was promptly struck down on a 6-4-3 double play in the next at-bat as a liner just bounced straight to the CMU shortstop. Double plays in the first, second, sixth, and ninth broke up Cardinal rallies each time, holding LU to just two runs scored despite eight hits.

Jason Blanchard held his ground through most of the game, surrendering just one earned run on a solo homer while striking out six and walking just two. Central Michigan's big inning against Blanchard came in the fourth. A 4-3 grounder got the first out and then a bit of a bauble on a burner to short didn't give JC Correa enough time to throw to first, allowing the next Chippewa to reach. A single in the next at-bat put the runner in scoring position on third, and though Blanchard got a strikeout in the fourth at-bat of the inning, a triple scored both Chippewa base runners. A double just one at-bat later scored the third run of the inning and the fourth of the game.

"Jason had six strikeouts in just five innings and issued just two walks," said Davis. "He's a legitimate Friday night starter, but he just had bad luck tonight. If he'd scattered those four hits he gave up tonight throughout the game along with that solo homer I think we win the game. It just wasn't our night. It's not an indictment of anything and we're very close. We've got some very talented guys on offense that are about to break out, and when that happens I think we'll be able to show that we're a pretty good team."

Lamar's runs came in the fourth and eighth innings. The Cards collected a lead-off double from Cole Coker in the fourth that scored on back-to-back 4-3 ground outs from Jorge Gutierrez and Robin Adames to put the score at 4-1, and in the eighth Logan LeJeune led off with a single up the middle and reached second on a single from Chase Kemp, his first of the year. A single from Reese Durand loaded the bases and Avery George wore one to his head to collect a painful RBI for the final score of the game, 4-2 in favor of Central Michigan.

Austin Smith relieved Blanchard in the sixth inning after a scoreless fifth and pitched three dominant innings, striking out five and allowing just one hit and one walk. He and AJ Ozorio-Brace held Central Michigan scoreless for the final four innings of the game.

"That's just good bullpen pitching," said Davis. "We're fortunate that Austin and AJ did their jobs and held them back for five innings, giving us a chance to come back. Unfortunately we came close but it wasn't enough."

Lamar returns to action Saturday at 6 p.m. against Prairie View A&M, the other participant in the 2019 Cardinal Classic, after the Panthers start the day at 2 p.m. with the other game of the doubleheader.