BEAUMONT, Texas — Lamar University moved into a two-way tie for first place in the Southland Conference after taking the series against Incarnate Word with a 9-0 win in Game 3 on Sunday afternoon at Vincent‑Beck Stadium.

LU set the tone early, scoring four runs in the first inning.

Lane Sparks opened the scoring with his first home run of the season, a one-out solo shot that traveled 336 feet over the right field wall.

Tab Tracy followed with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base before Hector Rodriguez singled through the right side to put runners at the corners.

Brayden Evans drove in a run with an RBI double to right, and Jake Wagoner capped the inning with a two-out, two-RBI single through the right side.

LU extended the lead to 5-0 in the second inning when Beau Durbin launched his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot that sailed 397 feet over the right-center wall.

Another run came home in the third as Evans and Taylor worked back-to-back walks.

Kevin Duran laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, setting up Wagoner's RBI groundout to third.

LU pushed the lead further in the fourth inning.

Durbin worked a leadoff walk and later scored after Tracy singled to right and Rodriguez executed a sacrifice bunt to bring home the run.

Rodriguez collected his second RBI of the day in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Tracy.

Wagoner added his fourth RBI in the seventh on a groundout to third, closing out the victory.

RECORDS: LU (17-11, 10-5); UIW (14-14, 6-9)

GAME NOTES

• Tracy reached base four times going 2 for 4 with two singles, two hit-by-pitches and three stolen bases. He extended his on base streak to 19 games.
• Tracy also tallied his ninth multi-hit game of the season, including his seventh two-hit performance.
• Wagoner finished 1 for 3 with a single, a walk, a stolen base and four RBIs.
• Durbin went 1 for 4 with a home run, a walk and an RBI. He now leads the team with four home runs.
• Rodriguez had a single to go 1 for 3 with two RBIs.
• Sparks finished 1 for 5 with a home run and an RBI. Sparks finished the series going 4 for 10 (.400) with a triple, home run and four RBIs.
• Evans went 1 for 3 with a double, a walk and an RBI.
• Taylor reached base four times finishing 1 for 1 with a single, three walks and three stolen bases.
• A.J. Kostic threw a two-hitter in four innings pitched with one walk and four strikeouts.
• Blayne Fritcher improved to 3-2 after not allowing a hit in 2.1 innings of relief with four strikeouts.
• The pitching staff finished with nine strikeouts. Hayden Stallings tossed 2.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout.

UP NEXT

LU travels to Fort Worth to take on TCU at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 31.