BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University's pitching staff pitched a shutout on four hits behind four strong innings from Trhea Morse, and the bullpen did the rest, as the Cardinals defeated Mount St. Mary's, 5-0, Sunday afternoon to sweep the four-game series.
 
The Cardinals' (8-4) took the pressure off the pitching staff plating three runs in the second to take an early lead and finished off with two more in the fifth. LU needed only three hits and took advantage of three Mountaineer errors to score their five runs.  
 
Morse (1-0) allowed just two hits in his four innings with three strikeouts. The Cardinals didn't allow a hit or a walk in the final two innings as they picked up their fourth consecutive win.
 
Deric LaMontagne went 2-for-3 (with two walks) Sunday with a run scored and two RBIs. The other Cardinal hit came off the bat of Josh Blankenship.
 
The Cardinals got on the board with three in the second inning. After leading off the frame with a strikeout, Kelby Weyler and Matthew McDonald reached on walks. Then LaMontagne stepped in and took a 1-2 pitch to the wall in right center recording a two-run triple. After another walk, LaMontagne came home on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Kyle Harper.
 
LU held the three-run lead until the bottom of the fifth when it got RBIs from Chase Kemp and Blankenship (double down the right field line). After giving up the two runs The Mount's Luke Pryor settled down going 5.0 innings allowing just the two runs on two hits with five strikeouts (and two walks).
 
Brett Midkiff got the start but lasted just 2.0 innings before being pulled. He gave up three runs – all earned – on one hit with three walks.
 
For the weekend, the Cardinals outscored their guests, 50-11, in the four-game series.
 
The Cardinals return to action Tuesday when they travel down I-10 to take on former conference foe, Houston Baptist. The lone game against the Huskies will begin at 2 p.m. from Husky Field.