BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar jumped out to a four-run lead in the first and lefthander David Carver tossed six shutout innings as the Cardinals went on to a 9-1 win over HBU in the Southland Conference baseball series opener Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
 
Junior rightfielder Thomas Clay went 2-for-3 with a walk for the Huskies (20-22, 9-13 SLC), while junior third baseman Curtis Jones went 2-for-4.
 
Sam Bumpers went 4-for-5 with three doubles, an RBI and three runs scored for the Cardinals (28-18, 13-9). Jacoby Middleton went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run. Reed Seeley singled, scored three times and drove in a run, while Kyle Markum went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
 
Carver (2-1) held HBU to six hits and struck out four in six innings to get the victory, then Andrew Beasley earned his first save of the season by finishing the final three innings. Junior Taylor Wright (2-8) took the loss for the Huskies, giving up eight runs, seven earned, on 10 hits, in 3.2 innings. Sophomore Matt Harding worked three strong innings in relief for HBU.
 
Lamar struck early as Vidrine led off the bottom of the first with a triple to rightcenter, then scored on an RBI single to center by Seeley. Bumpers followed with a double, and Seeley scored on a sacrifice fly by Middleton. Provost added an RBI double, and Santana lined an RBI single to rightcenter to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead.
 
Bumpers led off the third with a double, then scored on a two-out single by Markum to extend the Cardinals' lead to 5-0. Wright got two quick outs in the fourth, but walked Seeley on four pitches, Bumpers followed with a single, and Middleton delivered a two-run double into the leftfield corner for a 7-0 lead. Middleton then scored when Provost reach on an error. Bumpers added an RBI double in the eighth.
 
The Huskies' lone run came on junior second baseman Josh Martinez's RBI groundout in the ninth.
 
The series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch, followed by the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.