Lamar comes up short at top-ranked LSU

BATON ROUGE, La. — The top-ranked LSU Tigers scored four runs in the first inning and added two more in the second, and that would be all the offense they would need to get past Lamar University, 9-2, Wednesday evening at Alex Box Stadium as the Cardinals failed in their attempt for another upset of a top 5 SEC program this season.

Senior Quinn Waterhouse (1-1) got the start for LU but went 1.1 before being removed. He was charged for three earned runs on two hits and four walks. The Cards' pen got the final five innings from Trhea Morse, Hunter Hesseltine, Patrick Hail, Foster Kreuzer and Daniel Cole. That group combined to allow just two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts.

The Cardinals got seven hits on the Tigers' staff led by two-hit efforts from Ryan Snell (2-for-3) and Luke Bumpus (2-for-3, RBI). Snell recorded his fifth home run of the season and scored both of the Cards' runs.

The Tigers opened the game with some two-out damage in the first inning. After Waterhouse sat the first two Tigers down on just three pitches, he walked the third batter. The walk opened the gate as LSU followed with a double, single and two walks to take a four-run lead.

LSU tacked on two more in the sixth before the Cardinals could answer in their half of the fourth off the bat of Snell. The Hardin, Texas native led off the inning by taking the second pitch of the at-bat over the left field wall. Luke Bumpus singled later in the inning but was left stranded.

The Cardinals were back on the attack in the sixth inning when they took advantage of a single, error, a hit batter and a passed ball to plate their second run of the game. Snell led off the inning by getting plunked on the first pitch he saw. Two batters later, Kirkland Banks managed to reach on an error. Big Red had runners on second and third after a passed ball to Bumpus, who forced a full count before singling to left field scoring Snell.

The Tigers had at least one runner in innings 3 – 6 but the Cardinals' pitching staff was solid working its way through traffic to hang zeros on the scoreboard, but LSU managed to break through again in the seventh with a solo home run. LU was unable to answer in their half of the final two innings.

The Cardinals return to Vincent-Beck Stadium Friday to open a three-game series against UC Riverside. The series will open with a 6 p.m. first pitch Friday.