Feb. 18, 2007

Box Score

BEAUMONT - Lamar University pounded out 14 hits and Matt Morgal and Scott Meyer kept the Holy Cross batters in check for most of the game, enabling the Cardinals to post a 9-6 win over the Crusaders Sunday afternoon at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Lamar, who took two of three in the weekend series, evened its record at 3-3 on the season. HC is 1-2. Lamar remains at home to host the Cardinal Classic at Vincent-Beck Stadium. The other three teams in the field included Arkansas State, Creighton and Northwestern. The Cardinals open the Classic Friday at 6:30 p.m. against Creighton.

Morgal (1-1), who failed to get out of the first inning in his last outing against Illinois-Chicago, pitched six strong innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Meyer pitched the final three innings to earn his first save of the season. He allowed one unearned run on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Holy Cross continued to play long ball with the Cardinals. Norm Roth singled and scored on Brendan Akashian's 2-run home run to right field in the top of the first inning.

Lamar answered with four runs in the home half of the first. Erik Kanaby led off with a single to right field and stole second. He scored on Collin DeLome's RBI single to center field. Michael Ambort reached on an infield single and Dan Hernandez walked to load the bases.

Jeff Vickers, who was 2-for-3, delivered a 2-run double to left center field to score DeLome and Ambort. Brian Lloyd drove in Hernandez with an RBI ground out to third base to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead.

The Crusaders took advantage of two Lamar errors to score twice in the top of the third inning. Jamie Aldrich reached when DeLome dropped a fly ball in center field and Roth followed by reaching on a fielding error by Travis Dunson at third base. Akashian walked to load the bases and Kyle Lister hit a 2-run double down the right field line to tie the game at 4-4.

Once again, Lamar had a response. The Cardinals scored twice in the bottom of the third to take a 6-4 lead. Ambort led off the inning with a single to right field. Hernandez singled to left field and Vickers was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Ambort, who was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, scored when Lloyd grounded into a double play. David Moore, who was 2-for-3, doubled down the right field line to drive in Vickers.

The Cardinals added a single run in the fifth. Lloyd singled and advanced to third on Moore's single to right field on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Lloyd scored on a balk by reliever Tom Arrigg. Holy Cross made things a little more interesting with a run in the top of the seventh inning. Jake Gorman walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch by reliever Scott Meyer. Gil Gomez followed with an RBI single to center field to make the score 7-5.

Lamar responded in the bottom half of the inning for the third straight time. Lloyd, who was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, doubled down the right field line and scored on pinch-hitter Keith Towne's 2-run home run to right field, which was his first of the season, making the score 9-5.

The Crusaders added an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning. Gorman singled to left field and advanced to second when Kanaby bobbled the ball. He advanced to third on a throwing error by Tylor Prudhomme at second base and scored on Roth's RBI single.

HC starter Dan Seip (0-1) took the loss for the Crusaders, allowing six runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in three innings pitched.