CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Beau Durbin homered twice to lead Lamar University to a 7-3 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday afternoon at Chapman Field, evening the series.

Durbin jump-started the action with a bang, blasting a solo leadoff home run in the top of the first.

In the bottom of the third, Chris Olivier struck out the first two batters before Isaiah Afework singled through the left side and moved to second on a passed ball.

A walk and a fielding miscue loaded the bases, and Jackson Smith was then hit by a pitch to force in the game-tying run.

The Cardinals grabbed the lead in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI single to shallow center by A.J. Taylor.

A&M-Corpus Christi answered in the bottom half of the inning as Jake Barron opened the frame with a first-pitch leadoff double.

Jarrett Flaggert followed with a two-out RBI single through the left side, and Jackson Smith capped the rally with a go-ahead RBI double to right.

Brayden Evans lined a one-out double down the right-field line, setting the stage for Kevin Duran's two-out, game-tying RBI single through the left side in the top of the sixth.

After Lane Sparks drew a walk and Durbin singled through the right side, Tab Tracy drove in the go-ahead run with a one-out RBI single to right, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.

LU added another run in the inning when Durbin scored on a throwing error by the shortstop.

Durbin crushed his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to right center, extending LU's lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the eighth.

RECORDS: LU (13-10, 7-4); A&M-Corpus Christi (11-11, 1-6)

GAME NOTES

• Durbin tallied his fourth three-hit game of the season going 3 for 4 with a single, two home runs, a walk and three RBIs.
• Durbin is riding a seven-game hitting streak while he tallied this second three-RBI game of the season.
• Duran went 3 for 4 with three singles and an RBI, his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
• Taylor finished 2 for 5 with two singles and an RBI. Taylor has gone 7 for 17 (.412) in his last four games with four RBIs.
• Tracy has reached base safely in his last 14 games as he went 1 for 5 with a single and an RBI.
• Evans hit his sixth double of the season going 1 for 4 with a run scored.
• Theo Kummer went 1 for 4 with a single.
• Olivier improved to 4-0 after throwing six innings allowing two earned runs while he fanned eight batters.
• Olivier has now tallied 52 strikeouts in 38.1 innings of work.
• Travis Lutz struck out six batters in three innings of one-hit relief to earn his first save of the year.

UP NEXT

The series concludes Sunday, March 22 with Game 3 at 1 p.m.