Lamar sports information

HOUSTON – Pulling within one run after trailing by as much as five, Lamar (5-21, 1-9 Southland) fell just short in its comeback attempt against Houston Baptist (10-16, 4-3 SLC) Thursday, losing 7-4.

Grant DeVore finished 3 for 4 on the day with two runs scored, and Chad McKinneyhad two hits and scored two runs. Cole Coker led the way in RBI with two.

“Our guys were just getting tired of losing,” said head coach Will Davis when asked what enabled the comeback attempt. “They wanted to see if they wanted to win a game, and that was encouraging because I think we now have some offensive momentum heading into tomorrow. We just dug ourselves too big of a hole. We won the last eight innings of the game, but we just didn’t win that first inning.”

The Huskies struck early, putting five runs across in the first on a hit-by-pitch, three walks, and three hits. Tanner Driskill zoned in after that first inning, facing the minimum in the second, third, and fourth innings.

Lamar started to fight back in the top of the third. Chad McKinney led off with a single on a 2-2 count, and Grant DeVore followed his example with another single. Philip Ingram then hit a well-placed sac bunt that he almost ran into a hit, advancing both runners. A single from Cole Coker on an 0-2 count and two outs scored both McKinney and DeVore, pulling Lamar within three runs, 5-2.

Big Red continued its climb back into the game in the fifth inning, once again due to the heroics of the bottom of the order. McKinney led off with a 0-2 count single to left, and he reached third base on a double by DeVore. Chase Whetsel collected an RBI on a grounder to second, and Ingram’s single to left pulled Lamar within one run, 5-4, by scoring DeVore. Two hits with two outs in the bottom of the fifth put HBU back up by two runs though, 6-4.

Neither team scored in the sixth inning, and the Huskies tacked one more on in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out homer over the centerfield fence, leading 7-4 after seven innings.

Lamar was just inches away from tying up the game in the ninth. Logan LeJeune singled up the middle to lead off the inning and Cole Girouard hit a bunt single just two pitches later to put runners on first and second. Cole Secrest smacked a line drive to the Husky second baseman, who just managed to stop the ball with a diving play. He then made the throw to first just as Secrest stepped on the bag, and the freshman from The Woodlands was called out. LeJeune and Girouard advanced to second and third, respectively, but were stranded on two flyouts. HBU escaped with a win, 7-4.

“If Secrest is safe it obviously changes the whole game,” said Davis. “We would’ve had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the ninth. We were just that close, but I was proud of the way we strung together some good at-bats to get back in the game. If we can do that again tomorrow I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Noah Sills (2-3, 3.48 ERA) will face LHP Matthew McCullough on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.