Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT – A shaky defense at the start of the contest gave Fairfield all it needed when the Stags defeated Lamar, 6-2, Sunday afternoon to round out the four-game baseball set at Vincent-Beck Stadium in non-conference action.

Drew Arciuolo was the first hitter of the game for the Stags (2-2) and hit a dribbler to shortstop Phil Ingram, who made a bit of a high throw to Trey Silvers at first base. Silvers leaped to catch the ball and swung around to attempt the tag, but Arciuolo was called safe. After a sacrifice bunt and single from Kevin Radziewicz, Arciuolo scored as an unearned run, one of four LU gave up Sunday.

Freshman Nathan Gabryszwski (0-1) started for the first time in his career, but was bitten by two errors in the game from the Cardinals (6-2).He pitched 3 2/3 innings with seven hits and six runs (two earned) allowed in the game. Down 3-1 in the fourth inning, an error from Gabryszwski allowed a two-out inning to escalate into a four-run frame.

With Arciuolo at the plate and two men on, Gabryszwski took a slower roller to the third base side of the mound and threw it wide of Silvers at first base and allowed both of the lead runners to score. Michael Conti chased home Arciuolo with a single up the middle to make it 6-1.

“The story of the game was that we didn’t get some outs when we should have. I can think of three plays right off the top of my head that should have  been outs, but weren’t,” said head coach Will Davis. “We all know giving a team extra outs can be disastrous.

“We’re going to come out of this as a 6-2 team through eight games and not a 0-1 team after one,” he said. “We had to open the season in a tough way, and we did what we had to.”

Reid Russell – who upped his hit streak to nine Sunday– scored LU’s first run from third on a double play up the middle in the second frame. He was also the second run to score in the ninth from third base on Cole Coker’s shot back at the pitcher.

Coker ended his game 2-of-3, both were his first collegiate hits.

Drew Van Winkle relieved Gabryszwki in the fourth and worked 1 1/3 innings with four hits allowed. Matt White pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames with a single hit and three strikeouts. Ryan Cawthon finished out the contest with three hits, a walk and a punch out.

The Cardinals accounted for eight hits in the game, led by Russell’s two. The top five in the order – Cutter McDowell, Bryndan Arredondo, Silvers, Russell, and Robin Adames – had six hits of the eight hits in the contest, and each one had at least one base knock.

Michael Conti and Mac Crispino led the Stags at the plate, each went 3-of-4. Six Stags in the starting lineup ended the game with multiple hits.

Fairfield’s Gavin Wallace tossed eight innings in the game with seven hits and only one run allowed. He struck out six batters and walked none. Peter Horn relieved him in the ninth with a hit and run given up.

The contest ended the eight-game home stand for Lamar to open the season. It heads to Texas to take on the Longhorns at 6:30 p.m. on the Longhorn Network.  Lowell Galindo, Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell will have the call.

Voice of the Cardinals Harold Mann will also have his call on KLVI-AM 560.