NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Weather pushed Lamar University's midweek contest at Stephen F. Austin back 24 hours, but the delay didn't hurt the Cardinals as they scored 10 runs late to cruise past the Lumberjacks, 11-4, Wednesday evening at Pilgrim's Park.
 
The Cardinals (8-4) scored their 11 runs on 14 hits with five different players recording multi-hit games. Kanin Dodge and River Orsak led the way with three hits on the night. Dodge was 3-for-4 with and RBI, stolen base and three runs scored, while Orsak was 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored. Brayden Evans (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) mashed his fourth home run of the season.
 
Trhea Morse got the start and went 2.0 innings of one-hit baseball to pick up the victory (he was on a pre-determined pitch count), his first of the season. He was one of nine Cardinals to toe the rubber Wednesday as LU's staff held the Lumberjacks to four runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts.
 
SFA's Reid Bowyer got the start for the 'Jacks and went four innings allowing just one unearned run on five hits with a strike out and two walks but took the loss. He was one of eight Lumberjacks to pitch.
 
The Cardinals got the scoring starting in the first inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Evans and that would be the lone run for either team until the sixth inning as the pitching staffs took over. Lamar used four pitchers through the first five innings holding the Lumberjacks scoreless while allowing just two hits and two walks.
 
Lamar broke the game opening in the sixth inning when they scored six runs on five hits and took advantage of an error. The inning got started with a one-out walk to Ethan Ruiz bringing Drake Varnado to the plate who tripled to left field scoring the first run of the inning. After Jack Schell was hit by a pitch, Dodge singled to left driving in another run. With two outs in the inning, the Cardinals got consecutive hits from Orsak, Evans (home run) and Zak Skinner to break the game opening as 10 Cardinals went to the plate in the inning.
 
SFA finally got on the board with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Cardinals were back on the attack in the seventh again sending 10 batters to plate. Lamar got consecutive doubles from Ruiz and Varnado to start things off and scored four runs on two hits as Big Red took a commanding 11-1 lead.
 
The Lumberjacks managed to score two runs in the seventh and one more in the ninth to trim the final deficit down to seven.
 
The Cardinals are back home at Vincent-Beck Stadium Friday when they open a three-game series against UMBC. First pitch Friday is slated for 6:05 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.