BEAUMONT, Texas – No. 7 Stephen F. Austin moved within one win of the championship series, while No. 2 Lamar stayed alive on Friday at the 2026 Southland Baseball Championship. The Lumberjacks continued their impressive postseason run with another upset victory, while the Cardinals eliminated No. 3 UTRGV in a tightly contested afternoon matchup.
Saturday’s action begins with an elimination game between Lamar and No. 6 Northwestern State at 1 p.m. Stephen F. Austin awaits the winner in the Beaumont Bracket Final and will need just one victory to advance to the championship series. Lamar or Northwestern State must defeat the Lumberjacks to force an if-necessary game on Sunday.
Game 3 — (2) Lamar 3, (3) UTRGV 2
Lamar survived elimination behind timely hitting and strong pitching, edging UTRGV in a one-run battle to keep its season alive. The Cardinals scored in three separate innings and held off multiple late threats from the Vaqueros to advance in the Beaumont Bracket.
Chris Olivier delivered a strong start on the mound, tossing six innings while allowing just one run and striking out four. Julius Carpio closed the door with two scoreless innings for the save, including a game-ending double play in the ninth inning after UTRGV put the tying run on base.
Beau Durbin paced the Cardinals offensively with two hits and two RBIs, including the eventual game-winning RBI single in the seventh inning that scored Balin Valentine after a pinch-hit single and stolen base. Hector Rodriguez added a run scored and Brayden Evans drove in a run with a sacrifice fly as Lamar manufactured offense throughout the afternoon.
UTRGV stayed within striking distance behind Thomas Williams, who reached base five times and drove in a run. Diego Villescas added two hits and scored twice, while Armani Raygoza and Julius Ramirez each recorded key late hits, but the Vaqueros stranded 11 runners on base in the loss.
Game 4 — (7) Stephen F. Austin 6, (6) Northwestern State 4
Stephen F. Austin continued its upset run with another resilient performance, rallying past Northwestern State to remain unbeaten in the Beaumont Bracket. After falling behind 4-1 in the third inning, the Lumberjacks responded immediately with a four-run fourth inning and never trailed again.
Julian Swift sparked the comeback with a three-hit, two-RBI effort, while Mark Henning added two RBIs and Ethan Pena homered early for SFA. The Lumberjacks finished with 13 hits and consistently answered Northwestern State’s momentum throughout the night.
Northwestern State briefly seized control in the third inning behind Joe Siervo’s two-run home run and RBI efforts from Ethan Menard and Thomas Marsala III. However, Stephen F. Austin answered with six hits in the fourth inning alone to reclaim the lead and put pressure back on the Demons.
Elian Balmaceda stabilized the game in relief for the Lumberjacks, tossing two scoreless innings after Northwestern State’s four-run inning. Ayden Terry and Jack James combined to close out the final four innings as SFA secured its third consecutive postseason victory.