BEAUMONT, Texas – Friday's contest between Lamar University and Southeastern Louisiana was a showdown of the Southland Conference's top two pitching staffs and the game lived up to the hype as LU defeated the Lions, 2-1, at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
 
The Cardinal scored their two runs on six hits, while Lions scored their lone ninth inning run on six hits. LU plated solo runs in the sixth and eighth innings.
 
Brooks Caple got the start and went 6.1 innings allowing no runs on three hits with a walk while striking out 10. He picked up the win to move to 5-3 on the season. Caple was one of three Cardinals to pitch Friday as Austin Neal (6) pitched the final 2.1 innings allowing just one earned run on two hits with a walk and the strike out to get the save.
 
The cliché "neither pitcher deserved to lose" fit Friday's game has Brennan Stuprich was also strong for SLU. He gave the Lions 8.0 innings allowing just two runs on six hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
 
Four different Cardinals recorded hits Friday led by Tanner Wilson's 3-for-4 (2 doubles, RBI) effort. Drake Varnado collected a hit in three at-bats and drove in the game-winning run with his first home run of the season.
 
The game was scoreless through 5.5 innings before the Cardinal bats came to life in the bottom half of the sixth inning. With one out in the inning Brayden Evans doubled to center on a ball hit so sharply the Lions' centerfielder dove to prevent it from rolling to the wall. Wilson then worked a 2-0 count before putting a ball in nearly the exact same spot to double home Evans for the first run of the game.
 
The lead remained unchanged until the eighth when Varnado ambushed the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall. The no-doubter gave Big Red a 2-0 lead which at the time seemed insurmountable as Lamar's pitching staff continued to hang goose eggs on the scoreboard.
 
Southeastern would mount a rally in the ninth inning to cut into the lead. The Lions had their first two runners aboard following a walk and a single. Christian Garcia attempted to bunt the runners over but popped out to first. Neal struck out the next batter which brought Cole Stromboe to the plate with two outs and runners still at first and second.
 
Neal was one strike away from ending the game, but Stromboe kept the game alive with a bloop to center driving in one which brought T.J. Salvaggio to the plate. Salvaggio took a 1-1 pitch back up the middle that saw Varnado range over to field the ball and fire a strike back to first just beating out the runner to end the game.
 
The Cardinals (27-6/6-1 SLC) return to action Saturday looking to win the series. The contest is slated for a 5 p.m. start from Vincent-Beck Stadium and will be streamed live on ESPN+.