BEAUMONT, Texas – Junior Jacob Ellis pitched 7.1 innings of shutout baseball and Lamar University struck for three runs in the third and that was all the Cardinals needed to defeat UC Riverside, 5-0, Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
 
Ellis (2-0) allowed just three hits on the night with 11 strikeouts to power LU to its 11^th win of the season. Ellis was one of only two Cardinals to take the mound Friday as Kole Tauzin came on in the eighth inning to close things out with three strikeouts.
 
The Cardinals (11-3) scored their five runs on 10 hits, led by multi-hit games from Kanin Dodge (2-for-4), Luke Bumpus (2-for-5, 2 RBIs) and Cameron Yadon (2-for-4, run). Ethan Ruiz was 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
 
The Highlanders sent Tucker Juline to the mound and gave his squad a quality start. Juline went 5.0 of shutout baseball allowing just five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He gave way to Blake Burzell in the sixth and the Cardinals (11-3) were able to get to the Highlanders' bullpen. Burzell (0-3) surrendered two runs without giving up a hit but didn't record an out and was tagged with the loss. The Highlanders utilized four pitchers on the night.
 
After both starters cleared five scoreless innings, Big Red finally broke through in the home half of the sixth. Josh Blankenship led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, followed by a walk to Kirkland Banks. After River Orsak sacrificed them over Ruiz drove them home on a double to the wall in left center. Ruiz came around two batters later on a single off the bat of Bumpus.
 
The three-run sixth was more than enough offense for the Cardinals' pitching staff, but Big Red would tack on one in the seventh and one more in the eighth for the five-run victory.
 
Lamar will go in search of the series win Saturday when the return for game two. The second game is set to start at 2 p.m. from Vincent-Beck Stadium.