EDINBURG, Texas — No. 3 seeded Lamar University was held to eight hits as it suffered a 6-3 loss to six seeded Houston Christian on Thursday afternoon at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
The Cardinals take on No. 7 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 1 p.m. Friday, May 16 in the elimination round. A&M-Corpus Christi fell to No. 2 seeded UTRGV, 11-9.
Houston Christian took a 1-0 lead on an RBI double to left center by Katcher Halligan in the top of the second.
The Huskies pushed across another run on an error by the left fielder that came off a single through the left side by Jeremy Rader.
Getting their fourth straight hit of the inning, the Huskies extended the lead to 3-0 with a one-out RBI single up the middle by Kenneth Dutka.
Rader delivered a one-out solo home run to left in the top of the sixth to make the score 4-0.
Bryce Grizzaffi cut the deficit in half with a bases-loaded two-RBI single through the left side in the bottom of the sixth after
Zak Skinner and
Easton Culp each singled while
Tab Tracy drew a walk after a seven-pitch at bat.
Halligan extended Houston Christian's lead to three runs with an RBI ground-rule double to left in the top of the seventh.
The Huskies added an insurance run with an RBI double to left center by Halligan in the ninth.
LU attempted a rally in the bottom of the ninth as
Damian Ruiz reached on a walk and then
Matt Ryan singled to left center to put runners at first and third.
Brayden Evans cut the deficit in half with an RBI single through the right side, but the Huskies came out of the inning with a game ending double play.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Skinner finished 2 for 4 with a single and a double. Skinner has successfully reached base in his last 15 games while he extends his hit streak to five games.
- Evans had two singles to go 2 for 4 with an RBI. He also reached on a hit by pitch.
- Evans extended his on base streak to 13 games and his hitting streak to six.
- Ruiz and Ryan each went 1 for 4 with a single and a walk.
- Ryan has reached base safely in his last 11 games.
- Culp tallied a single to go 1 for 3.
- Grizzaffi finished 1 for 4 with a single and two RBIs to extend his on base streak to 12 games.
- Tracy was walked three times to extend his on base streak to 10 games.
- The LU pitching staff is now five strikeouts away from tying the single season team record for strikeouts, which is 490 set in 2006.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals take on No. 7 Texas A&M Corpus Christi at 1 p.m. Friday, May 16.
