BEAUMONT, Texas - One pitch changed the narrative between Lamar University (9-19) and the University of Houston (15-13) on Tuesday. The Cardinals and Cougars were tied in the top of the ninth before a solo home run put Houston ahead 8-7, which would eventually be the final score of the game.

"We're going to keep showing up to the park with enthusiasm like we do every day," said head coach Will Davis. "There's no consolation prize for losing games by one run, but when you continuously lose games by one run it does show you that you're close to being good and getting the ultimate outcome which is winning. We don't get any bonus points for losing by one, but I think our team sees how close we are and we're going to turn the corner and start winning these games."

The game was scoreless through the first inning and a half before Lamar broke the game open. JC Correa led off with a double and was joined on the base paths by Logan Berlof when the junior transfer from Panola College was walked. The bases were loaded when Cole Secrest was walked with one out, and a fielder's choice from Jorge Gutierrez scored two; one on the play and another on an error. A strikeout ended the inning with Lamar leading 2-0.

Houston got one back on a lead-off error, a sac bunt, and a double in the top of the third inning, but Lamar wasn't done scoring. The Cards led off the bottom of the fourth with a single from Avery George, and a sac bunt from Cole Girouard advanced George to second. Hits from Cole Coker and Berlof book-ended a 4-3 grounder from Correa that advanced two runners, and an error scored a second run. Big Red led 4-1 over Houston through three innings.

Houston's big inning came in the top of the fourth. A solo homer was the first of four Cougar runs that would score with a single in the next at-bat reaching second on a stolen base and third on a wild pitch. A hit batter put runners on the corners with no outs before a single scored another run and put Cougars on first and second. A 1-3 sac bunt scored the third run and a sac fly pushed across a fourth before Austin Smith got the final out of the inning on a strikeout. Houston led 5-4 heading into the bottom of the fourth.Lamar would load the bases in the bottom of the inning with two outs but a deep fly ball to left came up just short of a big offensive inning for the Cards. Houston held a 5-4 lead through four innings.

The Cougars attempted to add on to their lead in the fifth and sixth innings but were unable to do much against Smith who allowed just two hits in his three shutout innings of relief. Lamar took advantage of that performance in the bottom of the fifth. Correa reached on an error and moved to second on a no-out hit-by-pitch of Berlof. A double with no outs from Anthony Quirion scored Correa and put Berlof on third, and a no-out fielder's choice from Secrest scored Berlof and put Quirion on third. Kirkland Banks earned his first Lamar hit and RBI when he singled Quirion home with one out. George was walked in the next at-bat to re-load the bases but he, Banks, and Secrest were stranded on a strikeoutt and a popup to right. Lamar led 7-5 through five at Vincent-Beck.

Houston struck again in the eighth inning. The Cougars got a double to open the inning and scored the runner in the next at-bat with a single up the middle. A 1-3 sac bunt put the next Cougar in scoring position and another double tied the game at 7-7. Lamar would attempt to retake the lead in the eighth but failed to get a man on base, and in the ninth the Cougars broke the tie with a one-run homer to lead off the inning. Ryan Erickson got three quick outs after that at-bat to preserve Lamar's final chance, but the Cardinals couldn't quite convert.

Lamar returns to action on Wednesday against Houston Baptist University. The Cards and Huskies are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

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