SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Lamar University pounded out 20 runs to sweep a series-opening doublheader at UIW Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals defeated UIW, 7-0, behind Trevin Michael's gem in the first game. Big Red exploded for 13 runs on 14 hits to defeat their hosts, 13-4, in the second. The sweep moves LU to 24-20 (.545) on the season and 16-18 (.471) in Southland Conference play and keeps the Cardinals in the hunt for the postseason tournament.
 
Junior Trevin Michael pitched seven innings of two-hit baseball for his second consecutive complete game shut out, and senior Anthony Quirion hit two home runs (11, 12) as LU routed the homestanding Cardinals in game one.
 
Michael (6-2) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of a seven-inning game, but it was broken up by Chance Medina with two outs in the inning. The Cardinals' only other hit came in the seventh with a leadoff double – the only UIW runner to get past first – but he was stranded as Big Red moved three games over .500 with the win (23-20/15-18 Southland).
 
Michael fanned eight Cardinals with only one walk in the contest. He closes out the 2021 regular season by holding opponents scoreless in his final 19 innings of work.
 
UIW's Kayden Cassidy got the start for the other redbirds and went 4.1 surrendering all seven runs on seven hits. He also walked three Cards without a strikeout. Larry Westall pitched the final 2.2 for UIW surrendering just two hits.
 
Both Quirion and sophomore Ben MacNaughton went 2-for-4 in the first game, with a walk. Quirion scored two runs and drove in three, while MacNaughton scored a run. Freshman Jose Cintron also had an RBI in two at-bats.
 
Big Red took advantage of several miscues by UIW to plate a couple runs in the first inning. With one out in the inning, junior Chase Kemp reached base on a throwing error and moments later he moved to 2^nd on a passed ball. Junior Avery George followed that up by getting hit by a pitch. Sophomore Kelby Weyler drove in the first run of the game with his single through the right side (scoring Kemp) to give LU a 1-0 lead. After Quirion drew a walk, Cintron drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly.
 
The Cardinals extended their lead in the third when Quirion led off the inning with home run to left field. After Michael cleared his fourth scoreless frame of the day, the Cardinals were back on the attack in the fourth. LU scored four runs on three hits to blow the game open – the big blow again coming off the bat of Quirion – a two-run blast – to give LU a 7-0 advantage. Michael, and the LU defense, took care of the rest.
 
The first inning of the second game saw seven runs scored, all of which never should've happened. In LU's half of the first, Quirion struck out for the final out of the inning but the catcher couldn't hang on to the ball allowing a run to score and the inning to continue. The mistake would prove costly as sophomore Ryan Snell crushed a three-run homer to left capping a five-run inning. Unfortunately, Big Red would gift wrap two of those runs right back in the bottom half with a two-out miscue of their own. San Antonio's version of the Cardinals also tacked on solo runs in the 2^nd and 3^rd to pull within in a run.
 
Big Red held the one-run lead until the sixth with they pushed their lead back to five. The Cardinals got four runs on five hits in the inning to take a 9-5 lead. Ben MacNaughton and Chase Kemp each had RBI singles in the inning. The good guys tacked on another four-spot in the 7th to break the game open.
 
Zach Bravo got the start in second game but went only 3.0 innings before being lifted in favor of Max Mize. Bravo surrendered four runs on four hits, but he was hurt by miscues with only one earned run. He also walked two and struck out one. Mize (2-1) came in and silenced any thoughts of a comeback as he pitched 3.0 scoreless.
 
UIW's Drew Minter (1-3) took the game two loss after allowing six runs – one earned – on five hits. He recorded 111 pitches in just 5.1 innings of work, as the Cardinals used six pitchers from their pen.
 
Six different Cardinals recorded a hit in the second game, including four multi-hit performances. MacNaughton, Kemp and Weyler each recorded three hits in the second outing. MacNaughton was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kemp was also 3-for-6 with a home run, five RBIs and three runs scored. Weyler finished the day with a 3-for-5 effort with a run scored.
 
The two teams will be back at it Friday for game three of the series. First pitch for game three is set for 1 p.m. from Sullivan Field in San Antonio.