May 11, 2008

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - For the second-consecutive day Lamar lost a lead over Northwestern State when the Demons scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the seventh inning - this time plating four to come away with a 6-3 win and hand the Cardinals just their second Southland Conference series loss of the season Sunday.

With Lamar ahead 3-2 in the seventh, NSU scored four runs on four hits, as three crossed home with two outs including Anthony Jones' two-run double that provided the final 6-3 margin.

NSU's comeback came after Lamar erased a 2-0 Demon advantage with three runs in the sixth that began when Logan Pace led off with a single and stole second before coming home on Brian Taylor's double down the right-field line. Singles by Steven Tucker and Travis Dunson tied the game at 2-2 and put runners on the corners with just one out. David Moore was hit by a pitch to load the bases before everyone moved up 90 feet on Jeff Vickers' base hit up the middle that chased Demon starter Clayton Cooper from the game. But the inning came to a halt when Wade Mathis hit the second pitch he saw from J.C. Bredengerd to second baseman Roberto Gallegos who started an inning-ending double play.

Aside from the sixth inning, the Cardinals left five other men on base with one in scoring position and less than two outs in the second, seventh and eighth innings.

Tim Erickson (6-2) lost for just the second time in six starts after striking out two in 6.2 innings. Bredengerd (3-0) earned the win and Ryan Campbell saved his second game of the season as the Demons improved to 27-24 overall and 16-10 in Southland Conference play, and moved to within a half-game of Lamar (29-21, 17-10 SLC) for the SLC East lead with three games left.

Lamar will close out the regular-season with a split series against McNeese State with Thursday's game in Lake Charles, La., at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday's games will be in Beaumont with 6:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively. NSU will be at Central Arkansas to close its season before both teams head to the SLC Tournament, May 21-24 in Huntsville.

Lamar is currently tied for second with Texas State but holds the tiebreaker following the Cards' 2-1 series win two weeks ago in San Marcos. UTSA (37-14, 21-6 SLC) clinched its second-straight regular-season title with 5-2 win over Nicholls State.