ABILENE, Texas – It was a tough afternoon for the Lamar University baseball dropping both ends of a doubleheader at Abilene Christian. ACU won the first game, 8-4, in seven innings and came right back to win the second game with a late rally, 10-5.
 
Sophomore Dylan Johnson (1-3) got the start for LU in game one and went three innings. He took the loss after giving up five earned runs on five hits, with a walk. He did strikeout four batters. ACU countered with Genner Cervantes who pitched 5.2 innings, surrendering three runs on four with four walks, to pick up his sixth victory of the season.
 
Five different Cardinals recorded a hit in the opening game, led by sophomore Ben MacNaughton's 2-for-3 effort with a run driven in. The top four batters in the Cardinals lineup combined to go 5-for-14 (.357) in the opening game, but the bottom half of the order struggled picking up just one hit from the 5 – 9 spots in the order.
 
In game one, the Wildcats scored in three consecutive innings to take a commanding lead and never looked back. ACU got the scoring started with a run in their half of the 2^nd but came back with a four-sport in the 3^rd to take a five-run lead. The Wildcats took advantage of a hit by pitch, wild pitch and a walk to plate three runs. The Wildcats broke the game open with three more in the 4^th.
 
The Cardinals rallied for three run in the sixth to cut the lead down to five and were threatening for more in the inning. With two on and only one out, the Cardinals took advantage of an error to plate their first run of the game. Junior Logan LeJeune followed with a single to center to score sophomore Deric LaMontagne. After Cole Girouard walked to load the bases, MacNaughton followed with a walk to drive in the third run, but the next batter grounded out to the pitcher to leave the bases loaded. Senior Anthony Quirion added a solo shot in the 7^th but LU could get no closer.
 
Junior Zach Bravo got the start for LU in game two and went seven innings surrendering five runs (four earned) on seven hits, with a walk, and six strikeouts but exited with the score tied. He was replaced by junior Jack Dallas who took the loss after giving up four runs on three hits in a third of an inning.
 
Austin Glaze got win for ACU after pitching 3.1 innings in relief of Adam Stephenson. Glaze allowed just two hits and a walk in his outing to pick up his second win of the season.
 
LU collected eight hits in the second game with six Cardinals recording at least one hit. Junior Avery George was 2-for-5 with a run scored, while sophomore Kelby Weyler went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
It was the Cardinals who jumped on the board first in the second game, but much like in game one of the series, every time LU scored the Wildcats seemed to have an answer. With two on and two out in the first, Quirion ripped a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a double to score MacNaughton from second, but ACU responded with a home run from Colton Eager with two outs in the bottom half of the inning.
 
The score remained tied at 1 until the top of half of the 3^rd, when LU had runners at second and third with no outs. The next two Cardinal batters – Kemp and Quirion – grounded out and flied out, respectively, but the at-bats were productive driving in runs as Big Red took a 3-1 lead. ACU was able to get one of those runs back on a throwing error in the bottom of the third.
 
LU would respond with some two-out damage in the top of the sixth. Snell got things started with a double to left field. He was driven home two pitches later when Weyler smoked a near identical shot into left field for the RBI double. Two batters later, Weyler came home on a single off the bat of MacNaughton to give the Red and White a 5-2 lead. The lead didn't last as ACU answered with two home runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 5. The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when they took their first lead of the game. The Wildcats scored five runs on four hits ­ – the big blow a three-run home run from Bryson Hill – to take a five-run lead into the ninth.
 
LU will close out the four-game series Sunday with the fourth game. First pitch for Game 4 is slated for 2:05 p.m. start from Crutcher Scott Field.