March 8, 2005

Game 1
Game 2

BEAUMONT - Two big innings in two separate games made the difference for the Lamar baseball team on Tuesday afternoon, as the Cardinals posted a doubleheader sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7-2 and 4-3, in non-conference action at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

LU, who improved to 11-6 overall, used a five-run inning in game one and a three-run frame in the nightcap to take out the determined Islanders. Tuesday's losses made it three straight for TAMU-CC, who fell to 11-8-1 on the year.

Lamar senior Chase Richards was the hero in game one, pounding three hits in four trips to the plate with a game-high three RBI's. He finished a home run shy of the cycle, while also scoring a run. Adrian Cantu and Jo Jo Haney each added 2-for-4 performances for the Cardinals in the opening game.

The Islanders started the game off by plating two runs on three hits off LU starter Scott Meyer in the first inning. Meyer, a freshman from Orange, Connecticut, settled down after the rough start and allowed only two hits over the next three innings, before Tim Erickson came on in relief in the fifth.

Richards put the Cardinals on the board in the run and hit columns in the bottom of the third, smacking a 2-0 pitch to right center field for an RBI-double and Lamar's first hit of the game. He added to his hit total in the fourth inning with a two-run triple down the right field line, as part of a five-run inning. Earlier in the same inning, junior Will Henderson notched his fifth double of the year, scoring two runs for the Cards.

Erickson earned the first-game win after pitching the final five innings for Lamar. The freshman from Sour Lake scattered six hits and struck out two, while improving to 2-0 on the year.

Game two was a seven-inning affair and the Cardinals again used a big inning to score the bulk of their runs. The Islanders led off the game with three straight base hits and then scored their first run of the game on Josh Plumaj's 6-4-3 double play ball. TAMU-CC went up 2-0 in the top of the second after three consecutive two-out singles off LU starter Jason Stutes scored Jaime Landin. Brian Shallock came on in relief of Stutes to close the inning, setting the stage for Lamar's offensive response in the bottom of the second.

A Colt Crawford double to left, followed by a triple from Haney started the scoring for LU. Junior Matt Lambeth slapped a single to left field in the ensuing at-bat to score Haney. After Lambeth was caught stealing, Richards reached on an error and Cantu brought him home with a double to center field.

After two scoreless innings for both teams, TAMU-CC tied the score at 3-3 in the fifth when Plumaj walked with the bases loaded to bring home Landin. The Cardinals didn't take long to respond, however, taking advantage of two Islander errors in the bottom of the inning to score the go-ahead run. A sacrifice fly to left by Crawford scored designated hitter Michael Ambort, with what proved to be the game-winning run.

Lamar's Allen Harrington came on to pitch 1 1/3 hitless innings, before Trey Swor recorded the last two outs of the seventh to close the game and earn his first save of the year.

The Cardinals, who are nearing the halfway point of their 13-game homestand, will now prepare for this weekend's Lamar Classic. Joining the Cardinals in the three-day tourney will be Central Connecticut State, Michigan and New York Tech. LU opens play with a 7 p.m. tilt against CCSU on Friday.