May 22, 2009

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Lamar scored two runs in the ninth inning to record its second come-from-behind win of the week and defeat Texas-Arlington, 4-3, in a loser's bracket game of the 2009 Southland Conference Tournament at Whataburger Field Friday.

Trailing 3-2 following a pair of UTA runs in the bottom of the eighth, Lamar saw its season hanging in the balance with one out in its final at-bat. But then second baseman Brian Taylor and right fielder Quentin Luquette pieced together back-to-back singles before first baseman Steven Tucker cued a ball off the end of his bat for an infield single that loaded the bases.

Shortstop Jeremiah Sammy hit a sacrifice fly to left that allowed pinch runner V.J. Bunner to score from third and tie the game at 3-3. Third baseman Chris Dunkin followed with a single through the left side that scored Luquette for the game-winning run.

Senior Ricky Testa, who had come on in relief of starter Kevin Angelle with two outs in the seventh, slammed the door shut to improve to 8-3 on the year.

Angelle had been moving along nicely through 6 2/3 while allowing just three hits and only one batter past first base. But a two-out solo home run in the seventh tied the game at 1-1 before he left the game after a single and a walk. Testa halted the threat with a fly out.

"Kevin really did a nice job for us today," Lamar head coach Jim Gilligan said. "He kept his pitch count down and held them hitless when runners were on base."

Testa fought through the eighth after Blake Holt reached via an error to lead off the inning and moved to third on a double by Jeff Storms. Both Mavericks came home on Jay Pitschka's double into the leftfield corner to give UTA its first and only lead of the game.

Lamar (38-21) recorded its 18th come-from-behind win and its fourth in the last six games - with three over UTA - in running its victory total to 38. Luquette led the middle of the lineup with a 3-for-4 day, while Tucker and Dunkin each had two hits. Those three, along with Jeremiah Sammy combined for eight of Lamar's 13 base hits out of the Nos. 5-8 spots in the batting order.

Adam Boydston (1-5) suffered the loss after allowing the deciding run in the ninth. He was the loser two weeks ago when Lamar defeated UTA in Beaumont in an eerily similar outcome that saw the Cards win 4-3 with a run in the bottom of the tenth inning.

The Cardinals will now face regular-season champion and top-seed Texas State later tonight in a game that may not get underway until approximately 9:30 p.m. Lamar must beat Texas State tonight and again at 1 p.m. Saturday to advance to the championship game, set for 6 p.m. Saturday night.

Lamar was dropped into the loser's bracket late Thursday night when Texas State opened up a nine-run lead en route to a 10-1 win. The game didn't begin until just after 9 p.m. due to the preceding contest between Sam Houston State and Texas-San Antonio lasting more than four hours and 11 innings. The Bobcats scored six runs - five unearned - in the third inning and never were threatened the rest of the night as the game ended three minutes after midnight.