KFDM COOP Posted March 5, 2008 Report Posted March 5, 2008 Vickers 3-Run Shot Lifts Lamar Past McNeese State, 6-3 Lamar has won five of its last six games following the 2-game sweep of McNeese March 5, 2008 Box Score LAKE CHARLES, La. - Jeff Vickers hit a 3-run home run to break a 2-2 tie and give Lamar a 6-3 win over McNeese State at Cowboy Diamond Wednesday night. Vickers had struggled in his first three at bats but came through in a big way as he belted his second homer of the season with two out in the eighth as Lamar (6-3) extended its winning streak to three games. The Cardinals have now won five of their last six contests. With McNeese State leading 2-1, pinch-hitter Brent Harris tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh inning with a mammoth blast over the fence in right-center. It was his first of the year and the first by a Lamar pinch-hitter this season, snapping an 0-for-11 stretch. The Cowboys added a run in the eighth on consecutive two-out doubles by Bryn Thompson and Justin Beitzel before Tim Erickson came out of the bullpen and got Nate Eubanks to popout to end the threat. Lamar added an insurance run in the ninth when Tyler Link singled to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on a Chris Dunkin sacrifice fly to right field. McNeese opened the ninth with back-to-back singles but both runners were thrown out at second attempting to stretch the hits into doubles. Josh Cholley hit a bloop down the right field line that defensive replacement Logan Pace picked up and threw it on a line to shortstop Jeremiah Sammy. Andy Riche' followed with a hit near the line in left field but was taken off the basepaths when Link connected with second-baseman Brian Taylor. Ricky Testa (2-0) got the win in relief after allowing one run on two hits. He also struck out two. Erickson earned his third save of the season with 1.1 innings of scoreless ball. Matison Smith threw a career-best three innings of scoreless ball in his second-career start. For McNeese (1-9), Scott Holstein (0-2) was saddled with the loss as he scattered seven hits and surrendered five runs in eight innings. The Cardinals got production from throughout the lineup as seven players combined for the eight hits. Jeremiah Sammy was the only LU batter to have two hits. He finished 2-for-3 and scored a run. Lamar swept the two-game non-conference series and held McNeese scoreless for the first 14 innings prior to the Cowboys' sixth. On the flip side, those MSU runs snapped a 22-inning scoreless drought for the Cowboys which dated back to Sunday's loss to Houston Baptist. The Cardinals will return to action this weekend as the host the Lamar Classic Friday-Sunday. Akron, Buffalo and New York Tech will participate. Games get underway on Friday with Buffalo and NY Tech at 1 p.m. and Lamar against Akron at 5 p.m.
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