ABILENE, Texas – A big fourth inning was the difference Thursday in the first game between Lamar University (13-25, 5-14 SLC) and Abilene Christian (20-17, 7-9 SLC). The Wildcats took a 6-3 decision over the Cards with a three-run fourth.
 
Dylan Johnson looked good in his longest relief appearance of the year with just one run allowed in 3.2 innings of work. The freshman from Splendora, Texas, struck out four while walking none and surrendering five hits.
 
Lamar took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. JC Correa doubled to lead off the inning and reached third on a flyer to right from Anthony Quirion. A one-out single from Robin Adames up the middle scored Correa but back-to-back strikeouts ended the Cardinal rally. Starter Noah Sills stranded a lead-off single with his first strikeout of the day and LU led 1-0 through two innings.
 
Abilene began fighting back into the game in the third. The Wildcats a single, a walk, and a double all with one out and scored the second run on a sac fly. ACU lead 2-1 through three.
 
The Wildcats carried that offense into the fourth. A lead-off double scored on a two-run homer that was followed by two more singles. A fifth hit, a two-out single, scored the third run of the inning.
 
Lamar's biggest inning came in the top of the fifth. Adames drew a lead-off walk and reached third when Jorge Gutierrez and Cole Girouard were walked with one out. Avery George and Cole Coker singled Adames and Gutierrez home to re-load the bases twice, but a deep fly-out to right ended the inning. Heading into the bottom of the fifth ACU led 5-3. A lead-off triple scored on a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth and ACU led 6-3 through five.
 
Johnson and Ryan Erickson combined to shut out the Wildcats the final three innings and Lamar loaded the bases in the top of the sixth but couldn't convert a run. Lamar's final offensive output came in the top of the eighth. A two-out walk of Gutierrez scored on singles by Cole Girouard and Avery George to pull Lamar within two, 6-4.
 
 First pitch on Friday is set for 6:30 pm with LHP Jason Blanchard (3-3, 2.70 ERA) facing RHP Brock Barger (2-4, 4.66 ERA).

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