SUGAR LAND, Texas – Leadoff walks usually cost teams runs, and Wednesday night a leadoff walk opened up a chance that gave Central Arkansas a 3-0 win over the Lamar University baseball team in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament at Constellation Field.
 
The loss sends the Cardinals (35-18) to the loser's bracket and sets them up for a noon meeting Thursday with Stephen F. Austin, who fell to Sam Houston State in the game before. The Bears (29-25) will face the Bearkats at 7 p.m. Thursday night.
 
Will Hibbs (9-3), who pitched a tremendous game to that point, walked the first batter he saw (Matt Anderson) in the seventh inning on five pitches. Six-hole hitter Logan Preston put down a sacrifice bunt, but back-to-back singles from Hunter Strong and Justin McCarty scored Anderson.
 
With Bears on first and third bases and a 1-0 lead, Ty Tice put down a safety squeeze bunt that sent Strong to the dish and sent McCarty to second base. Top of the order in Tyler Langley ripped a RBI-single to right center scored McCarty to make it 3-0.
 
"They had some timely hitting, and had a nice squeeze play when they needed it," said head coach Jim Gilligan. "They played better than us in that aspect, not outhustled or anything else. They were able to do it in that inning and that was all they needed."
 
Hibbs was pulled before Tice's safety squeeze, but finished the night with 6 1/3 innings pitched, and all three runs were his responsibility on five hits and three walks. He and UCA starter Cody Davenport (6-2) went toe-to-toe before the three-run inning.  
 
"Will is a guy that got us here, and maybe I stuck with him longer than I should have. But Will got us here and I'm a Will Hibbs fan," said Gilligan. "I thought he did a great job today."
 
Davenport worked 8 1/3 innings and only allowed four hits and walked two. He finished the night with eight strikeouts.
 
"He had his good stuff tonight," said Gilligan. "They pitched to the park and we let the park play against us.  We need to start making adjustment. We hit several balls tonight that went out at SFA, but they were just outs here."
 
Lamar squared up several pitches throughout the game, but every time there seemed to be a Bear in the way.  Three times Reid Russell crushed a ball, including in the fourth inning when he narrowly missed his 19^th home run of the season.
 
"Reid hit one that I thought was gone," said Gilligan. "It reminds me of a park that we are familiar with (Vincent-Beck Stadium). We just have to find a way."
 
Chaneng Varela looked to have a sure one-out single up the middle, but Davenport was able to step in the way, recover and make a strong throw for the out. In the ninth, LU's Trey Silvers ripped a high towering popup that left UCA left fielder Brandon Montalvo on the warning track to make the catch.
 
Robin Adames had a good night at the plate with two (2-of 4) of the Cardinals four hits, a double in the fifth and a single in the seventh.  Stijn van der Meer and Cutter McDowell accounted for the other two hits.
 
Fernando Martinez pitched 2 2/3 innings with three hits allowed and two strikeouts.  He only tossed 27 pitches, which leaves him available for more action in the tourney.
 
Billy Love (6-4) will get the start in the elimination game Thursday. Much like UCA, the Cardinals swept the Lumberjacks in regular season play.  With a win at noon, the Cardinals would advance for another elimination game at noon Friday, but with a loss the Cardinals would close out their 2016 campaign, and the final season of Gilligan's career.
 
The Voice of the Cardinals Harold Mann will carry the game live on Newstalk KLVI 560 AM, and it can be viewed on ESPN3. That is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, plus on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN and ESPN app.