HOUSTON – Lamar University won its first two games of the Houston Tournament Friday at Cougar Field. The Cardinals defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 5-3 in the first game of the day before taking down Houston 6-5 during an eight-inning affair in the nightcap. 

Against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (7-8), the Cardinals (4-8) scored five runs in the sixth inning to come back from a 3-0 deficit. Freshman Haila Linton (1-3) picked up her first career win. Senior Aaliyah Ruiz pitched two scoreless innings to secure her first save of the season. Each pitcher struck out two batters. 
 
Sophomore Sam Bean started off the inning with a double to left-center. After junior infielder Nicolette Ramirez walked, Bean beat a throw to third on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Sophomore Audry Fleming would bring in two runs on a single through the left side, prompting the Islanders to make a pitching change. With one out, Sophomore utility player Hayley Freudenberg brought in freshman pinch-runner Kalyn Xayaseng to tie the game. Junior pinch-runner Olivia Taylor stole second base before Fleming would score on a Hannah Kinkade RBI single. Taylor would cap off the scoring by crossing home on a wild pitch. 
 
Ruiz (3-4) would also pitch a complete game, including the extra inning, against Houston. Lamar would get on the board first in the fourth inning when Bean came home on a wild pitch after drawing a leadoff walk. Fleming would add a second tally when Kinkade drew a bases-loaded walk. 

The scoring halted after Houston (5-7) put up three in the bottom of the fourth until Lamar came roaring back in the seventh inning.  

Freudenberg drew a walk to start the inning. With two outs, Houston committed an error allowing Davis to reach base. Pinch-runner Piper Hankins would advance to third base. Another error was committed by Houston to allow Hankins to score and Bean to reach base. Back-to-back walks would bring in Davis. The three-run seventh was capped off when Bean scored on a Fleming RBI single to right field. 

After Houston tied up the game to send it into extra innings, Hankins would produce a one-out single to left field. She would score on a Davis RBI double down the left field line for the game-wining run. 

The Cardinals are now on a three-game winning streak and will look to continue racking up the victories with two more games in the Houston Tournament Saturday. Big Red plays Northern Colorado with first pitch scheduled at 11:30 a.m. Lamar's second game of the day will be against Houston Baptist with a scheduled first pitch at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at Cougar Field in Houston. 

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