BEAUMONT, Texas – Alcorn State scored a run in the first inning, but Lamar University answered with two in its half of the first and never looked back posting a 13-3 victory in seven innings to improve to 39-12 on the season.
 
The victory moves Lamar within one win of its first 40-win season since 2004 as the Cardinals close the 2024 home campaign with a 24-4 mark at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
 
The Cardinals had the bats working early and often scoring 13 runs on 11 hits as Big Red hung crooked numbers on the scoreboard in four different innings. LU scored two in the first, five in the fourth, three in the fifth and three more in the sixth to close out the game.
 
Eight different Cardinals recorded hits Tuesday led by multi-hit games from Kanin Dodge (2-for-3, RBI, run), River Orsak (2-for-3, 3 RBIs, run) and Drake Varnado (2-for-3, HR, 4 RBIs, 3 runs). Varnado was one of four Cardinals to record home run Tuesday joining Brayden Evans (10), River Orsak (9) and Weston Peninger who belted his first of the season over the left field wall.
 
The Braves scored three runs on six hits scoring one in the first and two more in the fifth.
 
It was a bullpen night for both squads as Lamar sent eight pitchers to the mound, as Carter Sutton (1-0) worked an inning of relief to get the victory.
 
Hayden Konkler (0-2) got the start for Alcorn and allowed two runs in his lone inning of work to take the loss.
 
The Cardinals return to action Thursday when they close the regular season at New Orleans. The three-game series is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch with conference title implications on the line. LU enters the week 1.0 game up on Nicholls (who hosts McNeese) and 2.0 games up on the Privateers.