BEAUMONT, Tx – Lamar holds early lead to take down the Huskies, 9-5, and sweep the series at Vincent-beck Stadium.

HCU (11-37, 7-16 SLC) were led by senior shortstop Austin Roccaforte who went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs. Senior third baseman Reed Chumley went 2-for-4 with a double and a run while senior catcher Kevin Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a walk. Senior first baseman Tyler LaRue went 2-for-4 with two singles.

Junior lefthander Tim Ewald (0-3) took the loss for the Huskies, pitching an inning of relief giving up an earned run on one hit with a strikeout. Senior righthander Trey Valka pitched an inning to start the game giving up three earned runs on one hit with two walks and a strikeout. HCU used six senior pitchers in the final game of the season, righthander Matthew Charles, righthander Javan Smitherman, righthander Will Ripoll, righthander Chad Ricker, righthander Morris Austin, and righthander Walker Zander.  

Lamar (32-21, 13-11 SLC) were led by Kanin Dodge who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a run. Kevin Bermudez went 1-for-3 with a double, two runs, an RBI, and two walks. Ryan Snell went 1-for-4 with a home run, two runs, an RBI, and a walk.   

The Cardinal's Brooks Caple (5-0) earned the win, pitching four innings to start the game giving up three runs, two earned runs, on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Daniel Cole notched the save, pitching 3.2 innings of relief giving up two runs, one earned run, on four hits with three strikeouts. Lamar used three pitchers in game three.  

The Huskies tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the third inning when Logan Letney singled through the left side scoring Reed Chumley after Austin Roccaforte hit a home run to left field driving in Connor Fremin. HCU added two runs in the top of the ninth inning starting with a Roccaforte single to left center scoring Trent Baker before Samuel Benjamin doubled to right field driving in Roccaforte.

Lamar took an early lead scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning starting with Tanner Wilson scoring on a groundout by River Orsak before Kanin Dodge singled through the left side scoring Ryan Snell and Kevin Bermudez. The Cardinals added another run in the bottom of the third inning when Snell hit a solo home run to left field. Lamar tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dodge singled to center field scoring Orsak and Bermudez. The Cardinals final three runs came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Dodge scored on an Ethan Ruiz doubled to right center before Wilson singled to the shortstop scoring Kirkland Banks. Ruiz scored on a Bermudez double down the left field line for Lamar's last run of the series.

This weekend's series against Lamar concluded HCU's 2023 baseball season.