BEAUMONT – A sixth-inning unearned run for Lamar in the top of the sixth inning was all the Cardinals needed to beat McNeese 2-1 in game two of the Southland Conference Baseball Championship Series and claiming the tournament title and automatic bid to the NCAA Baseball Championships.
Tied 1-1, Lamar's Hector Rodriguez led the inning off with a line single up the middle and ended up on third base when Cowboy center fielder
DJ Pinkerton appeared to hesitate on making a diving attempt. The ball landed and short-hopped off his glove and shot into the gap. Rodriguez scored on a Jake Wagoner single to give Lamar the lead.
McNeese, playing as the home team, made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning when the Cowboys had runners on first and second and
Isaiah Keller at the plate. Keller would end up hitting a soft pop up to shortstop and Pinkerton struck out to end the game.
Both starting pitchers, McNeese's
Eric Nachtsheim and Lamar's Chris Olivier, were locked in a pitcher's duel as both lasted eight innings. Olivier, the league's Pitcher of the Year, picked up the win and improved to 7-4 on the season after allowing one run on four hits, walked two and struck out seven. He retired the last 11 batters he faced before being lifted for closer Julius Carpio who earned his fifth save. He was named the tournament MVP.
Nachtsheim (8-4) took the loss after pitching a gem for the second straight tournament game. He allowed one earned run on nine hits, struck out four and had no walks while being named to the All-Tournament team.
Keller and
Marcus Heusohn were also named All-Tournament.
Lamar struck first on a one-out, second inning RBI single by AJ Taylor up the middle to score Hector Rodriguez who led off the inning with a single.
McNeese threatened in the bottom of the second when
Hayden Stringfellow led off with a single into left field then
Isaiah Keller walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Lamar got
DJ Pinkerton to hit into a double play then a strike out to kill the threat and hold onto a 1-0 lead after two innings.
Lamar looked to add to the lead in the top of the fourth after getting back-to-back two out singles from Jake Wagoner and Taylor but a deep fly ball to left field would be corralled by Keller out in left field to end the mini rally.
The Cowboys put three hits on the board in the bottom of the fifth with Heusohn's single up the middle scored Keller to tie the game 1-1. Keller led the inning off with a double to center field after Lamar's Tab Tracy was unable to come up the sliding grab. Heusohn's infield single up the middle was enough to score Keller after the Cardinal second baseman Taylor had the ball come off his glove enough for Keller to round third and score.
Kaden Schuck followed with a punch bunt single into the first and second hole to put runners at first and second, but Lamar was able to get out of the inning with a strike out and grounder to second.
Lamar quickly responded with a run in the top of the sixth to retake the lead at 2-1. Rodriguez led off the inning with a single to center field, but the ball was misplayed by the Cowboys' defender and Rodriguez ended up on third after the error then scored on a one out single by Wagoner.
Three of McNeese's six hits came in the fifth inning. The Cowboys did not get another runner on base until the ninth inning.
McNeese ends its season 31-26 overall while Lamar improves to 34-25 and will find out on Monday where they will be playing in the NCAA Regional round.
