BEAUMONT, Texas — Lamar University has an opportunity to win its first conference tournament title since 2010.
The Cardinals collected 16 hits in an 11-0, seven-inning run-rule victory over No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin to win their bracket at the Southland Conference tournament on Sunday afternoon at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
No. 2 seed LU will host rival and No. 5 seed McNeese in a best-of-three championship series beginning Thursday, May 21 at 6 p.m.
LU continued its trend of scoring early, taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
Hector Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk, and
Jake Wagoner followed with an infield single.
Brayden Evans moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt before
Braden Benton delivered an RBI single to shallow right.
Lane Sparks added a run with a groundout.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 5-0 in the third, scoring three runs on four hits.
Tab Tracy led off with a single, and
Beau Durbin followed with an infield hit.
A.J. Taylor added a bunt single, allowing Tracy to score on a throwing error.
Rodriguez drove in a run with a single through the right side, and Wagoner capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.
LU pushed its advantage to 6-0 in the fourth.
Sparks led off with a bunt single and later advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt before scoring on
Balin Valentine's RBI single up the middle.
The Cardinals broke the game open in the sixth, scoring five runs while sending 11 batters to the plate.
Durbin sparked the rally with a one-out double, and Taylor drew a walk.
Rodriguez followed with an RBI single, and a throwing error allowed Taylor to score.
Wagoner added an RBI single, and Sparks contributed a two-out RBI single to right.
Valentine reached on an infield single to load the bases, and Tracy brought home the final run with an 11-pitch walk.
RECORDS: LU (32-25); SFA (29-27)
GAME NOTES
- Wagoner finished 3 for 4 with two singles, a double, two stolen bases and two RBIs. Wagoner has gone 8 for 15 (.533) in his last four games.
- Wagoner has also reached base safely in his last nine games.
- Rodriguez went 2 for 4 with two singles, a walk and two RBIs. He went 4 for 8 with four RBIs in his last two games.
- Sparks had two singles and a walk to go 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
- Valentine finished 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI. He has five hits and three RBIs in his last four games.
- Wagoner and Valentine are each riding a four-game hitting streak.
- Benton went 2 for 3 with a single, double, walk and an RBI.
- Durbin finished 2 for 5 with a single and a double to extend his on-base streak to 10 games.
- Tracy went 1 for 4 with a single, a walk and an RBI to extend his hitting streak to five games.
- Tracy has seven hits and three RBIs in his last five games.
- The LU pitching staff combined for six strikeouts.
- Fabian Ramirez earned his first win of the season after pitching two innings of relief with one strikeout.
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