March 7, 2009

Box Score

BEAUMONT, Texas - Lamar evened the series at one apiece Saturday afternoon, using a three-run fifth inning to take the lead and the win.

With the loss, the Colonels fall to 5-6 (1-1 SLC), while the Cardinals improve to 11-2 (1-1 SLC).

Lefty Jarret Dunnam (Saraland, Ala./Alabama Southern CC) went 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits. The junior fanned four and issued four walks on the day, falling to 1-2 on the season.

Reliever Ryan Harding (Shawnee, Kan./Crowder College) threw 2.2 innings of one-hit relief for Nicholls, striking out two Cardinals.

For Lamar, Eric Harrington picked up the win, his third of the season.

"We came out and battled. I thought Dunnam did a good job, but our problem was free passes. We gave out eight on the day, which is way too many, especially against a good club like Lamar. Add in the nine hits they had and that's too many runners on base and they were able to take advantage of that."

The Cardinals got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the second as Steven Tucker, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, scored on an RBI single by Chris Dunkin. Lamar added a run in the third on a Colonel error, taking a 2-0 lead after three innings.

After catcher Kevin Schlegel (Oklahoma City, Okla./Northeast Texas CC) and shortstop Steven Gauthe (Belle Rose, La./Copiah Lincoln CC) drove back-to-back two-out singles past the infield in the top of the fifth, centerfielder Chris Murrill (Mobile, Ala./Alabama Southern CC) drew a walk, loading the bases. Cardinal starter Eric Harrington then hit second baseman Keith Kulbeth (Opelousas, La./Westminister Christian Academy), cutting Lamar's lead in half as Schlegel scored to put the Colonels on the board.

A batter later, an error by the Lamar outfield let the go-ahead runs cross the plate for the Colonels as Murrill and Gauthe each scored, putting Nicholls on top 3-2.

But the lead was fleeting as Lamar leftfielder Tyler Link drew a lead-off walk, stole second and scored on a double down the rightfield line. Two-straight hits from the Cardinals, including an RBI double to left from Dunkin gave Lamar a 5-3 advantage through five.

Lamar added two insurance runs in the eigth en route to the 7-3 final.

Swenson and Gauthe each finished 2-for-4 at the plate, while Kulbeth, who turned a 1-for-3 outing, drove in the only RBI of the day for Nicholls.

"They had timely hitting and we didn't. We both had nine hits, but their's all came with runners in scoring position and ours weren't. We've just got to lick our wounds tonight and get ready to come back and take the series."

Nicholls and Lamar will meet tomorrow for the rubber match, slated for 1 p.m. The Colonels will send righthander Tyler Minto (Mobile, Ala./Alabama Southern CC) (0-0, 3.86 ERA) to the mound, while Lamar will throw righty Matison Smith (2-0, 4.26).

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