HAMMOND, La. – Lamar University pounded out 12 runs on 19 hits as the Cardinals defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 12-4, Sunday afternoon in Hammond, La. to finish off the sweep of the series.
 
Sunday's game followed the same script as Game 2 – jump out to an early lead and then lean on pitching staff to slam the door shut. The Cardinals jumped out to a seven-run lead Sunday and was never seriously challenged after that.
 
Southeastern Louisiana was held to four runs on 10 hits with two errors, but all of its damage was done late in the game when it was out of reach.
 
Eight different players recorded hits Sunday with all but two of those recording at least two different hits in the game. Six different players drove in runs, while eight different Cardinals (25-18/9-9 SLC) scored at least one run in the game.
 
Kevin Bermudez finished off the series with a 4-for-6 effort (RBI, run), while Ben MacNaughton (3-for-5, walk, RBI, run), Ryan Snell (3-for-5, RBI, run), and Josh Blankenship (3-for-5, home run, 3 RBIs, 2 runs) each finished the day with three hits. River Orsak only collected one hit on the day but scored a team-high three runs.
 
Patrick Hail (3-0) got the start for LU and went 5.2 innings allowing just two earned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts to pick up the win. Hail was one of five Cardinals to take the mound Sunday.
 
Brennan Stuprich (3-3) took the loss after giving up seven runs – six earned – in 4.0 innings of work. The seven runs came on 11 hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
The Cardinals took their first lead of the game in the top of the first. With two outs, Ethan Ruiz hit one to short which was misplayed allowing River Orsak to come around and score. The one-run lead held until the third when Big Red tacked on another solo run (with three straight two-out singles), but in the fourth they hung their first crooked number of the game.
 
The first five batters of the inning reached which included singles from Josh Blankenship, Tanner Wilson, MacNaughton and Kevin Bermudez, to go along with a walk to Kirkland Banks. MacNaughton and Bermudez each drove in runs with their singles, while the third run came home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Orsak.
 
Blankenship made it a seven-run lead with a two-run home run to open the fifth inning. The Lions finally managed to get on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom half of the fifth and one more in the sixth to trim the deficit to 7-2 through six innings.
 
Both teams managed to tack on the runs in the eighth and ninth innings. The Cardinals hung crooked numbers in both innings – three in the eighth and two in the ninth – while SLU put up one in both frames.
 
The Cardinals return home Tuesday to take on Prairie View A&M. The game against the Panthers will begin at 6 p.m. from Vincent-Beck Stadium.