Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT — Lamar (4-16, 0-6 SLC) homered twice against Southeastern Louisiana (16-6, 5-1 SLC) in the Sunday series finale but the Cardinals ultimately fell 5-3 to the Lions at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Robin Adames was 2 of 3 on the day with a homer and an RBI, and Chad Fleischman had the other Big Red homer of the day.

Southeastern again jumped on the Cards early, scoring four runs, two earned, in the first on two hits and two walks. Jason Blanchard recovered quickly, holding Southeastern to no runs, just one more hit, and two more base runners his final four innings. The freshman finished the day with four runs, two earned, on three hits and three walks through five innings. He struck out one batter as well.

Tanner Driskill relieved Blanchard at the start of the sixth inning and allowed three hits and one earned run while striking out four and walking one. He pitched the final four innings for Lamar, facing the minimum in the seventh and ninth innings.

Lamar’s first run came in the second inning. Adames led off with a double and a single from Chase Kemp put runners on the corners with no outs. Cole Girouard hit a sac fly to left field to score Adames with one out, and a strikeout ended the Cardinal threat. After two innings Southeastern led 4-1.

With two outs and none on in the fourth Fleischman tattooed a ball to center field on the second pitch he saw. The ball carried over the center field wall, giving Lamar its second run of the day and pulling the Cards within two runs, 4-2. Girouard singled to left field one at-bat later, but expired on a fielder’s choice.

Neither team scored in the fifth inning as Blanchard and SLU’s Jared Biddy sat down their respective batters in order, and Southeastern struck again in the sixth, scoring a run on a lead-off double, a wild pitch, and a grounder to short. Adames hit a solo shot to center field in the bottom of the inning to pull Lamar back within two runs, 5-3.

Neither the Lions nor the Cards could score in the final two innings, though Lamar came close to tying the game in the eighth. Philip Ingram drew a lead-off walk, and a sac bunt from Chase Whetsel advanced Ingram to second. Adames joined Ingram on the base paths after a six pitch walk, but a strikeout ended the inning.

Lamar returns to action Tuesday at Houston (11-8) at 6:30 p.m. and then travels to San Antonio on Thursday for a three-game series at Incarnate Word (13-9, 3-3 SLC) starting Friday, March 23.