Staff report

Chad McKinney pushed across the go-ahead run with a 10th-inning double, and Port Neches-Groves redshirt freshman Cole Girouard hit a sacrifice grounder for insurance in Lamar’s 14-12 win over Southern in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.

The game lasted 4 hours, 3 minutes, and was Lamar’s second straight in Louisiana’s state capital. LSU beat Lamar 8-0 Tuesday.

The sacrifice gave Girourard his third RBI of the game. He batted 5 for 7 and scored four runs.

As a team, Lamar (14-28) outhit Southern (8-28) of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, 21-14. Four errors came back to haunt the Jaguars, while two errors stung the Cardinals.

Girouard hit two of Lamar’s four doubles. Southern also had four but also hammered two home runs.

It appeared Lamar would seal the deal in the ninth after Girouard reached on a fielding mistake at right field. That allowed McKinney to score a potential insurance run. The Jaguars, however, responded, with an RBI single and sac fly to send it to the 10th inning.

Philip Ingram went 4 for 6 and scored three runs in the leadoff for the Cards. Grant Devore was 3 for 6 but was left on base three times.

PNG true freshman Logan LeJeune was 2 for 5 and drove in three runs; Robin Adames (three RBI), Cole Secrest (RBI) and Avery George each had two hits. Secrest was stranded five times.

Seven Lamar pitchers were used, with West Orange-Stark true freshman Jack Dallas (3-3) earning the win. He walked one and allowed a hit in the final 1 2/3 innings.

Garrett Walker pitched the first two innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits and striking out one. Chet Jones (four strikeouts in three innings), Marcus Olivarez (no outs recorded), Kristjan Storrie (one inning), Ryan Erickson (two innings) and Nederland freshman Chase Kemp (one-third inning) also toed the rubber for Lamar.

Four Southern pitchers were used.

Lamar will play the third, fourth and fifth of a 12-game road swing Friday through Sunday at Nicholls State in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Nicholls (17-25, 7-11 Southland) is tied with New Orleans (18-25, 7-11) for the eighth and final seed for the Southland Conference tournament, while Lamar stands 10th at 8-13.

The top seven teams in the Southland are Sam Houston State (28-13, 15-3); Southeastern Louisiana (27-17, 14-7); McNeese State (20-21, 14-7); Houston Baptist (20-21, 12-6); Central Arkansas (23-17, 11-7); Incarnate Word (25-17, 10-8) and Northwestern State (23-18, 9-9).