BEAUMONT, Texas — From: Lamar Athletics
Leading 3-2 heading into the eighth inning, Lamar University (9-17, 2-9 SLC) ultimately fell in 13 innings, 5-4, to Nicholls State University (15-13, 7-4 SLC) on Saturday. The Cards outhit the Colonels 13-11 but an early passed ball, a few hit batters, and an error proved costly for the Cards.
Jason Blanchard was largely effective for Lamar with just four hits and one earned run allowed in seven innings. The senior from Kingwood, Texas, struck out six and walked three while hitting one batter. He threw 112 pitches and had five scoreless innings, and his one earned run came off a solo homer in the fourth. AJ Ozorio-Brace, Austin Smith, Dylan Johnson, and Ryan Erickson combined for five more strikeouts through the next six innings but allowed three runs - two earned - and seven hits. They walked four batters and pegged another three with a wild pitch.
Nicholls struck early with a run in the top of the first. The Colonels led off with back-to-back hits and put runners on second and third with a sac bunt. A passed ball during the next at-bat scored an unearned run for Colonels before Blanchard earned two outs on a fielder's choice and a flyer to right. Avery George led off with a single in the bottom of the inning but a fielder's choice, a grounder to second, and a flyer to left stranded Cole Girouard at second. After one inning Nicholls led 1-0.
Nicholls was largely ineffective against Blanchard the rest of his outing, getting just two more hits, one earned run, and five base runners in the next six innings, and Lamar fought back by tying the game in the third and in fourth before taking a 3-2 lead in the sixth. In the third a one-out homer from Anthony Quirion with no outs tied the game, and a lead-off homer from JC Correa in the bottom of the fourth again tied the game at 2-2. Lamar had two hits in both of those innings but the other base runners were stranded. A lead-off double from Cole Coker in the sixth inning scored on a one-out single from Robin Adames, and the senior from The Bronx, N.Y., was stranded at first with two deep fly balls. Lamar got a lead-off single from Rhett McCall all the way to third with one out but stranded the sophomore from Mont Belvieu, Texas, 90 feet from home on a bunt line-out to the pitcher. The Cards led through seven innings, 3-2.
A lead-off double, a hit-by-pitch, a 5-3 sac bunt, a one-out single up the middle, and a sac fly to center scored two runs for the Colonels in the top of the eighth. Lamar answered with a lead-off single from Coker, a no-out single from Correa, and a one-out, RBI bunt single from Logan Berlof. Two fly-outs to left ended the threat from the Cardinals but tied the game at 4-4.
The next four innings were scoreless though Lamar threatened in the bottom of the 11th. Jorge Gutierrezsingled up the middle with one out and reached second on a wild pitch. He was joined on the base paths by Quirion who was intentionally walked. A 5-3 double play from George struck down Gutierrez at third and ended the inning. The Colonels would load the bases with two hits, an error, and an intentional walk before a hit-by-pitch scored the game-winning run for the Colonels. Nicholls escaped with a 5-4, 13-inning decision over Lamar.
The series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday with Grason Wright (1-2, 5.30 ERA) facing Shane Mejia (4-0, 2.51 ERA).