Cardinals Squeak Out Win In Series Finale
5/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Lumberjacks mounted a ninth-inning rally on Saturday against Lamar, but Cardinal starter Stephen Tromblee tossed his first career complete game and propelled Lamar into the conference tournament with a 3-2 win to spoil senior day at Jaycees Field.
Lamar (29-25, 14-19 SLC) scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning off of losing pitcher Brett Higginbotham in what proved to be the only scoring inning of the entire weekend for the Cardinals, but it was enough to pick up the win as the `Jacks were held off the board themselves until the ninth. SFA (34-21, 20-13 SLC) had already clinched the No. 2 overall seed and could not improve or hurt its position in the standings, and therefore took the opportunity to get action for six pitchers on the day.
Those arms combined to punch out 10 Cardinals on the day, including five strikeouts in just four innings from starter Zack Taylor. Justin Braddock struck out two in 1.2 perfect innings and Landon Kozeny fanned the side in the seventh in his one inning of work. Chase Wier and Colton Eubanks also got in an inning, with each putting up a zero.
But it was Tromblee's day as the lefty struck out five and scattered eight hits while keeping the `Jacks off the board until the ninth when SFA strung together four hits to nearly storm all the way back. Hunter Dozier delivered an RBI double with one out to cut the lead to 3-1, but a perfect relay by the Cardinals on the play gunned down Jackson Hood at the plate for a key second out. Max Lamantia followed with a pinch hit RBI single to score Dozier, but Tromblee got Riley Huble to pop out to second base to end the game.
The Cardinal win secures a spot in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament for Lamar, and oddly enough will place them as the No. 7 seed and scheduled to face off once again with the Lumberjacks at noon on Wednesday in the first round.
Taylor only allowed one runner past first base in his four innings of work before being removed after 62 pitches, and it was then that the Cardinal bats finally came alive against Higginbotham, who allowed all three Cardinal runs on three hits in just a third of an inning. An RBI single from Aaron Buchanan pushed across the first run of the series for Lamar, scoring Andy Mena who had led off the inning with a double to right field. After Higginbotham hit Andrew Dewey with a pitch, Wade Mathis singled to right field as well to score Buchanan. Two batters later after Justin Braddock had entered in relief, Ted Zentek picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice to give LU a 3-0 advantage.
SFA was only able to build up one significant threat against Tromblee, with that coming in the seventh inning when Jarid Scarafiotti and Hunter Dozier each reached base and moved into scoring position on a two-out wild pitch. But Tromblee was able to get Chris Hernandez looking for his fifth strikeout of the day to work around that jam.
The Lumberjacks will open up the 2011 Southland Conference Tournament on Wednesday at noon against the Cardinals. All games will be played at Bobcat Field in San Marcos with each being aired online via SLC Now. Saturday's SLC Championship game will be aired on the SLC TV Network.
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