BEAUMONT – Will Hibbs was nothing short of dominant and Enrique Oquendo was electric to close it out when the Lamar University baseball team survived for a tight 2-1 Opening Day win over Southeast Missouri State Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
 
The win is the fifth-straight opening day win and 34^th overall in 53 years of Cardinal baseball. Head coach Jim Gilligan is 29-10 as the skipper on opening day.
 
Hibbs (1-0) and Redhawk (0-1) starter Joey Lucchesi (0-1) were both perfect through two innings and Hibbs was perfect for 3.1 innings. The senior pitched six innings on the night and allowed only one run on three hits; he accounted for eight of LU's 13 strikeouts and recorded no walks.
 
"Will pounded the strike zone with good stuff. He was impressive.  He was a pro tonight," said Gilligan. "He threw 81 pitches, and that will only serve to get him ready to throw 95-100 next week."
 
The Friendswood native was just two pitches from a possible shutout. The Redhawks lone run came after a triple from SEMO first baseman Ryan Rippee in the fifth and a wild pitch soon after.
 
Oquendo (1) entered the game with one out in the eighth, and did not allow a hit and walked one. The eighth inning was a big frame for the Cardinal bullpen. With a man on first, Oquendo took the mound and balked the runner to second.   The next batter took four wide ones for a man on first and second before each advanced on another balk.  With two men in scoring position and a one-run lead, Oquendo fired across one of his four strikeouts.
 
Before that, LU had a huge defensive play in the seventh inning. Junior pitcher Galen Andrews had the bases loaded with one out before he forced Rippee to rollover a pitch for a 6-4-3 double play.
 
"Defensively I thought we looked good, especially with a couple of crucial double plays," said Gilligan.  "The game was getting away from us and we get the hard ground ball to get us out."
 
Lamar broke up Lucchesi's perfect game in the third with a walk from newcomer Bryndan Arredondo.  He took second on a balk before Brendan Satran singled through the left side for a man on first and third.
 
Preseason first-team All-Southland Conference member Stijn van der Meer came up with a crucial hit through the right side to send Arredondo to the plate before Jacoby Middleton singled to load the bases for an RBI single to left field from Cutter McDowell.
 
"McDowell, we feel like is one of our best hitters.  We're hoping for big things out of him," said Gilligan. "Van der Meer snuck a ground ball through. We should've scored more in that inning, but that is all due to the pitcher and how good he was."
 
McDowell led the way with two hits in four trips, and was the only hit the Cardinals could get outside off the four-hit third.
 
Lucchesi matched Hibbs' innings and gave up only those four hits and walked three.
 
"Their pitcher was tough.   He was really tough," said Gilligan. "I can't be angry at my hitters for not getting to him because he is a real prospect.  It was a good ball game."
 
Jacob Lawrence took the mound for the Redhawks in the seventh and worked 1.2 frames before Brady Wright finished it off. Lawrence allowed one hit and walked one; Wright struck out one.
 
SEMO's top hitter Branden Boggetto was 2-of-4 with two strikeouts. Dan Holst, Rippee and Daniel Costello all added hits.
 
Both teams were perfect in the field.
 
The teams will square off for the second time in a three-game set on Saturday at 2 o'clock, and the finale is slated for Sunday at 1 o'clock.