BEAUMONT, Texas – The first inning was the deciding factor in Friday night's Southland Conference series opener between the McNeese baseball team and No. 25 Lamar as the Cardinals took advantage of a pitcher's dual with a 5-1 victory at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Beaumont.
 
The loss snapped McNeese's six-game winning streak as the Pokes fell to 20-12 overall and 10-6 in league play while Lamar extended its home winning stand to nine in a row.
 
Despite the four-run inning, senior hurler Kaleb Fontenot (4-3) turned in a magnificent sheet the rest of the way as he tossed 7.0 innings and scattered 10 hits. He struck out eight batters and walked just one. It was the seventh time this season that Fontenot had struck out seven or more batters in a game.
 
Following the first inning, Fontenot settled in and worked the battle as he went on to retire 16 of the next 21 batters he faced in the appearance. After giving up five hits in the first, he allowed five the rest of the next six innings he worked.
 
Lamar pitcher Will Hibbs tossed eight innings and allowed just one run on five hits while striking out 14 batters.
 
Lamar got out to a big lead in the first frame as it plated four runs against the Pokes off of five hits. The inning was sparked by Reid Russell's two-RBI single with one out in the inning while Cutter McDowell following with another two-RBI single to put the Cardinals up.
 
The score was extended to a five run lead for the Cardinals in the seventh inning following a two-out RBI-double from Jake Nash.
 
Freshman Shane Selman smashed his sixth homer of the season in the eighth inning as he launched a solo shot over the left field wall to cut the Lamar lead down to a 5-1 ballgame.
 
Centerfielder Ricky Ramirez led the offensive effort for the Pokes with two hits while three other Cowboys hit in the game.
 
McNeese returns to action on Saturday for game two of the series with Lamar. First pitch is slated for a 2 o'clock start.