April 25, 2009

Box Score

Matison Smith allowed just one run over 7.1 innings and the Lamar defense made some great plays as the Cardinals clinched their first series win over Northwestern State in six years with a 6-1 triumph at Vincent-Beck Stadium Saturday.

Smith (6-3) struck out four and scattered eight hits as he won for the first time since an 8.2-inning outing three weeks ago. Much of his success was due to the fact that he threw 20 first-pitch strikes to the 30 batters he faced. Ricky Testa secured the final five outs without any of the four balls out in play leaving the infield.

Tyler Link raised his batting average 19 points to .361 with a 3-for-4 day that included a walk and two runs. Steven Tucker had two hits, with Chris Dunkin, Quentin Luquette and Ryan Saldivar banging out LU's three doubles.

Lamar (27-17, 13-10 SLC) had 10 hits and scored the first two runs of the contest in the bottom of the first when Dunkin connected on a two-run double to the wall in left center that scored Link and Tucker from the corners.

The Demons cut the LU lead in half in the third on a double by Justin O'Neal that plated Trent Grondin from first.

But after Demon starter Ryan Zimmerman held the Cards scoreless from the second through fifth innings, LU scored a pair in the sixth with Saldivar's double inside the bag at third sparking the rally. Ironically though, that was the only hit of the frame as the Cardinal catcher moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a balk, while Luquette matriculated his way around on a walk, the aforementioned balk, a passed ball and a wild pitch.

The Cardinals added a run in the seventh without the benefit of a base hit. Instead they put runners at second and third with a walk, a hit batter and a passed ball. An intentional walk loaded the bases and a wild pitch allowed Link to score from third.

An eighth-inning double steal with runners on the corners added the final score for Lamar, who won a weekend series for the sixth time this season.

Zimmerman (0-3) gave NSU a solid six innings but was saddled with the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits, in addition to a pair of walks, a hit batter and three wild pitches.

Grondin and Joe Urtuzuastegui each had two hits for Northwestern State (17-21, 10-11 SLC).

The teams will wrap-up their three-game set on Sunday at 1 p.m.