Lamar University Athletics

BEAUMONT, Texas — In the second game of the Southland Conference baseball tournament on Thursday night, No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin shut out No. 2 seed Lamar University 2-0 at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

The Cardinals will face third-seeded UT Rio Grande Valley in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Friday, May 15.

UTRGV fell to No. 6 seed Northwestern State 6-5 in Game 1.

SFA took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a leadoff solo home run by Josh Ibe, which traveled 396 feet over the left center field wall.

The Jacks added an insurance run in the fifth.

Ethan Pena led off with a single and later advanced to second on a throwing error.

After Cooper Schneider moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, Cermodrick Bland delivered an RBI single through the left side.

LU starter Travis Lutz kept the Cardinals within reach, allowing two runs over seven innings while striking out seven.

Nathan Darden provided two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, recording two strikeouts and issuing one walk.

LU has not won an opening game at the Southland Conference tournament since 2010.

The Cardinals last won an opening-round conference tournament game in 2022 while competing in the Western Athletic Conference.

RECORDS: SFA (28-25); LU (28-25)

GAME NOTES

• The Cardinals tallied just five hits while leaving nine runners stranded.
• Beau Durbin finished 1 for 3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base to extend his hitting streak to six games.
• Tab Tracy and Hector Rodriguez each went 1 for 4 with a single.
• Kevin Duran and Braden Benton each finished 1 for 2 with a single.
• Jake Wagoner was walked three times.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (DAY 2)

• No. 3 UTRGV vs. No. 2 Lamar, 1 p.m. Friday
• No. 7 SFA vs. No. 6 Northwestern State, 6 p.m. Friday