Lamar sports information

SAN ANTONIO – Eddy Gonzalez’s ground ball scored Trey Rodriquez from third base as the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and finished off three-unanswered runs to give Incarnate Word a 3-2 win over the Lamar baseball team at Sullivan Field Sunday afternoon in Southland Conference action.

Despite the loss, LU won the series after wins in the first two contests.

Lamar (31-11. 16-5 Southland Conference) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but was never able to score again, which gave Jimmy Johnson (7-2) a hard-luck loss on the mound. UIW (12-32, 5-16) scored two of its runs in the second to tie it before Johnson took the mound, and he worked 6 1/3 innings with five hits allowed and the lone run. He walked two and struck out one.

Like he did in every game over the series, Stijn van der Meer opened the game with a base knock; Sunday’s was a double down the left field line. Jake Nash was hit by a two-strike pitch to put two aboard, and both moved a bag on a sacrifice bunt from Cutter McDowell.

Reid Russell lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score van der Meer and freshman Robin Adames drove a single to left field that scored Nash.

Despite the lack of scoring, Big Red was able to notch at least one hit in every inning but the fifth and eighth.

Enrique Oquendo started for Lamar on the hill and worked out of a jam in the first with a groundout, but couldn’t do it in the second. He issued a leadoff walk to Matt Morris and Weston Pitts laced a single to right field that pushed Morris to third base. Christian Divelbiss scored Morris on a sac fly, but two runners were right back on the bags when Oquendo hit Rodriguez.

He struck out Ryan Gonzalez, but Eddy Gonzalez came up with the single that tied it when Rodriguez touched the plate. Johnson took the mound and gave up a single, but ended the inning on a groundout. Oquendo pitched 1 2/3 frames with the two runs allowed on four hits.

McDowell tried to spark a rally in the third with a leadoff double to right field, but three strikeouts left him stranded there. Middleton tried to do the same in the sixth when he singled and stole second with one out, but a groundout and strikeout ended the frame.

Cody Richey (2-4) started on the mound for Incarnate Word and worked six innings with seven hits allowed. He gave up the two runs, walked one and struck out eight. Lance Moszkowicz relieved him and picked up his seventh save of the year with three innings of work.

Van der Meer led LU with two hits in five at-bats with a run scored. Nash, McDowell, Bryndan Arredondo and Brendan Satran were all 1 for 3 and Adames and Middleton were both 1 of 4. Chaneng Varela had a pinch-hit single through the right side in the ninth.

Austin Hoffman and Rodriguez each led UIW with a multiple-hit game, both had two hits.

The Cardinals will try to recover from the loss with a big RPI game Wednesday at Rice. That first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

All is set up for the biggest weekend of the season yet for LU when conference leader Southeastern Louisiana comes to Vincent-Beck Stadium with a two-game lead on Lamar.