Lamar Scores Two in Top of Ninth for 4-3 Win in Elimination Battle with UT Arlington
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas ? No. 4 seed Lamar scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to down UT Arlington Friday in an elimination game at the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament at Whataburger Field.
The Cardinals’ win set up a game with top-seeded Texas State Friday night at approximately 9 p.m. A Bobcat win would send them to the championship game Saturday at 6 p.m. while a Lamar win would force another game Saturday at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to the championship. The Mavericks end their season with a 30-26 record.
Trailing 3-2 entering the ninth, Lamar got three singles to load the bases before shortstop Jeremiah Sammy’s sacrifice fly tied the game. Chris Dunkin followed with a single through the left side for a one-run lead.
Lamar reliever Ricky Testa struck out the first two batters in the bottom half of the inning before giving up a single up the middle to Colin Garner. Garner moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but Testa fanned Evan Raley to end the game.
With the win, Testa, who struck out five, improved to 8-3 though he allowed two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings. Adam Boydston took the loss to fall to 1-5 for UT Arlington.
Right fielder Quentin Luquette led all batters with three hits in a 3-for-4 day with a pair of runs scored. Dunkin and first baseman Steve Tucker each had two hits. Dunkin had two RBI. Andrew Kainer had two hits to lead UT Arlington, which got two RBI from second baseman Jay Pitschka.
Neither team could get on the board until the sixth when Lamar took a 1-0 lead on a Dunkin single with a pair of runners aboard. The Cardinals tacked on a run in the seventh. UT Arlington answered that run and took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run double by Pitschka.
Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana are playing in the third game of the day and Texas State and Lamar will follow 45 minutes after the conclusion of that game.
All tournament games are being streamed on SLC NOW on the Southland web site at www.southland.org. Live stats for the games are also available at that address.