BEAUMONT, Texas – Senior Brooks Caple took a no-hitter into the seventh and went 8.1 innings Friday evening leading Lamar University to an 8-4 victory over Northwestern State at Vincent-Beck Stadium. Caple finished the night allowing four runs – three earned – on four hits with 10 strikeouts (and just one walk). 
 
Two of NSU's runs and two hits came in the ninth inning after Lamar had already built a sizeable advantage.
 
Austin Neal came on and got the final two outs to close out the game for the Red and White.
 
The first-place Cardinals (35-9/13-3 SLC) scored their eight runs on nine hits scoring three runs in the third, one in the sixth, and two more in the seventh and eighth innings. The Demons scored two in the seventh and two in the ninth. 
 
Seven different Cardinals recorded hits Friday led by multi-hit efforts from Brayden Evans (2-for-4, RBI) and Ethan Ruiz (2-for-2, 2 walks, 2 runs). Kanin Dodge was 1-for-4 with 3 RBIs, while Zak Skinner (1-for-4) took his only hit of the night high off the batter's eye in straight-away center for his sixth home run and his 36^th and 37^thRBI's of the season. 
 
Northwestern State countered with Chase Prestwich who went 6.0 innings allowing four runs on five hits with three strikeouts. He was hurt by five walks on the night. Prestwich (4-5) was one of three Demons to pitch Friday.
 
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the third inning when they scored three runs on three hits. After loading the bases to open the frame, Dodge got a sacrifice fly to center scoring the first run, which was followed by singles from Evans, Drake Varnado and Tanner Wilson to close out the scoring. 
 
Caple held the Demons at bay until the Cardinals could add to the lead scratching out a run in the sixth to make it 4-0. The Demons cut the lead in half with a two-run homer off the bat of Balin Valentine to end the no-hit bid. Despite NSU getting on the board, Caple didn't allow it to turn into a big inning and the Cardinals responded in kind in their half. 
 
With two out and one on, Skinner crushed a 1-1 pitch to straight away center that hit high off the batter's eye putting Lamar back out in front by four. The Cardinals tacked on two more in the next inning to make it 8-2 heading into the ninth. 
 
Northwestern State made a little noise in the ninth scoring two with a bases loaded double but after the hit Neal put out the fire to hand Lamar their 13^thconference win of the season and extend Big Red's lead in the SLC standings. 
 
The Cardinals return to Vincent-Beck Stadium Saturday evening for game 2 of the series. It is set for a 5 p.m. first pitch and will be streamed live on ESPN+.