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HOUSTON – Lamar's Jacoby Middleton hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning that proved to be the difference in the Cardinals' 3-1 victory over HBU in the Southland Conference baseball series opener Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
 
Senior shortstop Louie Payetta went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Huskies (18-18, 9-7 SLC), while junior catcher Blake Thomas went 2-for-3 and scored a run.
 
Junior lefthander Christian Thames (2-4) tossed the first complete game of his HBU career in a losing effort, allowing three runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in nine innings.
 
Middleton finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs, while Jake Nash went 2-for-4 for the Cardinals (27-10, 12-4).
 
Will Hibbs (8-1) picked up the win, allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts in six innings, then Fernando Martinez hurled three perfect innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts for his first save of the season.
 
Lamar took the lead when Middle singled in the second and scored on Chaneng Varela's double to right. HBU finally answered in the fifth when Thomas singled and scored on Payetta's double to rightcenter to make the score 1-1.
 
Cutter McDowell doubled to lead off the seventh, then Middleton knocked his sixth homer of the season over the leftfield wall.
 
The series concludes with a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m. at Husky Field. The HBUTV and Legacy Sports Network broadcast with Russ Reneau begins with the pregame show at 10:45 and can be accessed on HBUHuskies.com and LSN.