ARLINGTON, Texas — Despite UT Arlington cutting into the lead late in Game 3, the Lamar University baseball team didn't buckle, holding off the Mavericks for a 5-3 win Sunday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.

The victory gives the Cardinals six wins in their last nine meetings with UT Arlington and improves LU's all-time series advantage to 85-45 against their former Southland Conference rival.

UT Arlington applied early pressure in the bottom of the first, loading the bases on a single and two walks, but the Cardinals escaped unscathed.

The Mavericks threatened again in the third, loading the bases with two outs, but A.J. Taylor made a diving stop on a ground ball and flipped to Beau Durbin for the inning-ending force-out.

LU broke the scoreless tie in the fifth when Durbin ripped a two-out RBI double down the right-field line. Taylor followed with a two-run home run to give the Cardinals a 3–0 lead.

The Mavericks responded in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run by Noah Fields.

LU pushed the margin back to three in the sixth on a two-out RBI single to right from Brayden Evans.

UT Arlington trimmed the lead to 4–3 in the eighth, scoring twice on a single and a fielder's choice. But Lamar added a key insurance run in the ninth when Lane Sparks delivered an RBI triple off the right field wall, helping secure the series finale.

RECORDS: LU (5-3); UT Arlington (2-5)

GAME NOTES

• Taylor went 1 for 5 with two RBIs. He finished the series 5 for 12 with two home runs and three RBIs.
• Taylor has a team high .407 average, .704 slugging percentage, 1.188 on base + slugging percentage and .484 on base percentage while he is tied in hits with 11 alongside Durbin.
• Durbin finished 1 for 5 with a double and an RBI.
• Tab Tracy tallied a single to go 1 for 4.
• Tracy, Durbin and Taylor are all riding an eight-game hitting streak and eight-game on base streak.
• Braden Benton had a single and double to go 2 for 4 to extend his on base streak to eight games. He went 4 for 9 in his last two games with a double, home run and an RBI. 
• Evans snapped a four-game hitless streak by going 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI.
• Sparks hit the first triple of the season to go 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.
• Jake Wagoner added to LU's nine total hits by going 1 for 4 with a single and two runs scored.
• Jarret Williams started the game tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
• A.J. Kostic picked up his first win after throwing 2.1 innings of relief allowing two hits.
• Nathan Darden earned his second save not allowing a hit in 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.

UP NEXT

LU travels to College Station to take on No. 24 Texas A&M on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.