HAMMOND, La. – Down 6-1 at the start of the sixth inning, Lamar rallied back with one in that sixth and three in the seventh to get within a run, but Southeastern Louisiana held off the Cardinals when it took at 6-5 victory in Southland Conference baseball action at Pat Kenelly Field Friday night.

The Cardinals (10-9, 0-4 Southland) had runners on first and second in the top of the ninth, but Josh Green survived with a strikeout to end the game. The Lions (13-4, 4-0) built a lead in the early innings – using a few early walks.

Cutter McDowell cut the 6-1 lead down with a single into left field and pushed across Payton Robertson, who reached on a two-out walk. Grant DeVore singled behind Robertson and moved him up to second base.

Big Red rallied on three runs in the top of the seventh, with the big blow on Robin Adames’ first home run of the season, a two-run shot that scored Reid Russell. Russell led off the inning with a walk. With one out, Bryndan Arredondo drew a base on balls and Chad Fleischman followed with an error on third baseman Taylor Schwarner that put runners on the corners.

Chaneng Varela notched his third pinch hit base knock with a single to left field that chased home Arredondo.

Adames, who moved his reached base streak to 27 games, had three RBI on a 2-for-4 day.

The two programs square off again Saturday at 2 p.m. Carson Lance (3-1, 2.66 earned run average) will take the hill for the Cardinals and will be opposed by Corey Gaconi (1-0, 3.38).