Lamar sports information

NATCHITOCHES, La. – The Cardinals issued 11 free passes and booted four balls defensively when the Lamar baseball team dropped its first contest in six games at Northwestern State in a 11-9 loss in non-conference action at Brown-Stroud Field Tuesday night.

In all, LU walked seven batters on balls, hit four more and had four infield miscues. Four of the free passes ended up as runs, two led off an inning, and three were with two outs. The errors had LU with two unearned runs.

Still, the Cardinals (15-11) had it tied at 7-7, but a two-out walk in the sixth and error in the seventh allowed the Demons (7-16) to score one in each. Reid Russell pushed across Cutter McDowell in the top of the eighth to cut it to 9-8, but Lamar issued three free passes along with another error and gave up two more runs that put the game out of reach.

NSU’s Devin Bear (2-0) pitched his longest career outing and held LU’s offense off balance. He surrendered two runs on four walks, walked none and struck out four. Brent Janak (2-1) was issued the loss on 2 2/3 innings of work. He gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits. His outing was the longest of the game for the Cardinals.

McDowell continued his tear at the plate with his first four-hit game of the 2017 campaign and fifth multi-hit game in the last 11. He was 4-of-5 with four runs scored and one RBI. Adames, Silvers and McKinney – in his first career start – all had two hits apiece. Collectively, LU recorded 15 base hits and outhit the Demons’ 11. It’s on the third time this year LU outhit the opponent and lost.

The two will square off again at 6 tonight, weather permitting. Drew Van Winkle (0-0, 2.70 earned run average) will match up with Austin Reich (0-1, 67.50), both are right-handers.

LAPAYEVA REPEATS AS SOUTHLAND’S TOP TENNIS PLAYER

FRISCO – Lamar senior Katya Lapayeva has been named Southland Conference Player of the Week, announced league officials Tuesday afternoon. It marks the second consecutive week that Lapayeva has received the award, and the second straight week LU’s men’s and women’s program have swept the honor (senior Nikita Lis was named SLC Male Player of the Week).

In the midst of the strongest year of her career, Lapayeva is a near perfect 13-2 (.867) on the season in singles action, and 9-4 (.692) in doubles play. The Belarus native has led the Cardinals to a six-match win streak which placed Big Red in a three-way tie for first in the Southland race.

The Cardinals won their three matches by a combined 18-3 score, which included wins over Omaha and Central Arkansas. Lapayeva has posted a 12-1 record over the course of the team’s last seven matches, including a perfect 6-0 mark last week. All of Lapayeva’s matches came at No. 1 singles and doubles.

LIS WINS ANOTHER SOUTHLAND WEEKLY AWARD IN TENNIS

FRISCO – Lamar senior Nikita Lis has been named the UniversityCoin.com Southland Conference Player of the Week announced league officials Tuesday afternoon. It marks the fourth time this season that a Cardinal has received the honor, and second consecutive week that Lis has been named the recipient.

The Cardinals have won three consecutive matches, and six of their past seven due in large part to Lis’ actions on the court. Lis has posted a combined 7-1 (.875) record between singles and doubles competition over the course of the past two weeks, including a perfect 3-0 mark in the teams two wins last week.

Lis recorded a straight-sets victory over Incarnate Word’s Francisco Bendana at No. 2 singles to help Big Red to a 7-0 victory in their Southland opener. LU was back on the court less than 24 hours later to take on UTSA in a non-conference tilt. Despite numerous weather delays, Lis was unaffected winning both his matches at No. 1 singles and doubles to help the Cards improve to 12-6 (.667) on the season.

CHAPELET TAKES 2ND AT HUSKY INVITE

SUGAR LAND – Lamar freshman Elodie Chapelet was the picture of consistency at the HBU Husky Invitational, firing her third straight 73 to finish second at the event that wrapped up Tuesday.

Chapelet finished at 3-over-par 219 for for 54 holes, trailing only Gianti Mahardhika of Sam Houston State in the 75-player field. Mahardhika, who also carded a 73 on Tuesday, finished at even-par 216 for three rounds on the 6,085-yard, par-72 layout at the Riverbend Country Club.