May 26, 2006

Box Score

BEAUMONT - Colt Crawford went 3-for-4 and scored a run, but Lamar University squandered too many scoring chances in losing for the first time in the 2006 Southland Conference Tournament, 11-1, to Northwestern State Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Lamar, who dropped to 35-22 overall, will play Texas-Arlington Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner of that game will face Northwestern State (33-27) for the tournament championship and automatic bid an NCAA Regional.

The Cardinals, who were the visiting team, started the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. After Erik Kanaby struck out, Crawford started a string of three straight singles. Collin DeLome singled through the right side of the infield and Will Henderson followed with a single to left field to drive in Crawford with the game's first run.

However, that's all the offense Lamar could muster the rest of the game. The Cardinals were held to just three more hits the rest of the game and left seven runners on base.

The Demons tied the game with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Justin O'Neal started a two-out rally with a single to left field and scored on Marty Dewees' single to center field.

Miles Durham led off the fourth inning with a bunt single, and advanced to all the way to third on a two-base throwing error by pitcher Tim Erickson. Bobby Barbier followed with a single to right field to drive in Durham. Michael Flower, who was 3-for-3 with three RBI, walked and scored on O'Neal's sacrifice fly to right field to put the Demons up 3-1.

Northwestern broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to push the lead to 7-1. Durham had an RBI triple down the right field line and Barbier followed with an RBI single. Flower delivered the big blow with a 2-run home run to left field.

The Demons ended the game with four more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to make the score 11-1. The game ended due to the 10-run rule. Dewees had an RBI single and Durham walked with the bases loaded to force in a run. Barbier and Flower each drove in a run with back-to-back sacrifice flies, the latter of which ended the game.

Erickson (0-1) started and took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in three innings pitched. Derek Cloeren (3-3) pitched a complete-game for the Demons, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in eight innings pitched.