Cardinals Rally Late to Win Both Games Saturday :: Lamar beat Buffalo 7-6 and Akron 10-7 Saturday on Day 2 of the Lamar Classic.

March 8, 2008

BEAUMONT - Senior Travis Dunson drove in three runs in each game and Tim Erickson picked up a pair of saves to lead the Cardinals to a pair of wins Saturday on day two of the Lamar Classic at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Lamar (8-4) scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 7-6 win over Buffalo and scored five runs in its last two at-bats for a 10-7 win over Akron. The Cardinals close out the Lamar Classic Sunday with a 3 p.m. game against New York Tech. Sunday's first game has Akron playing Buffalo at 10 a.m.

In game one, Buffalo jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Lamar starter Brian Needham. Brian Randazzo reached on a fielder's choice and scored on Bobby Pizzuto's triple to right center field. Chris Chiesla doubled to right center to drive in Pizzuto.

The Bulls added two more runs in the sixth inning. Nick Walczak singled to right field and Shivam Bhan walked. Randazzo delivered a two-out, 2-run triple to center field for a 4-0 lead.

Lamar tied the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jeff Vickers started the inning by reaching on a throwing error by Randazzo at second base. Brent Harris singled to center field. Chris Dunkin, who was 2-for-3, drove in Vickers with a single to left field. Jared Hill followed with a single to center field to load the bases.

Steven Tucker drove in Harris with a fielder's choice in which everybody was safe when Walczak's throw to second base pulled Jacob Rosenbeck off the bag. Dunson, who was 2-for-4 with three RBI, singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Hill and Dunkin to tie the game at 4-4.

Eric Flynn singled with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Rob Mancini followed with a 2-run home run to left field to put the Bulls up 6-4.

The Cardinals answered with three runs in the home half of the eighth inning. Tucker doubled to center field and scored on Dunson's single up the middle. Harris walked with the bases loaded to force in Dunson with the tying run and David Moore drove in Anthony Moore with the go-ahead run with an infield single.

Brad Depoy (1-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings pitched. Erickson pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two, to earn his fourth save of the season.

Jesse Reinstein (0-1) took the loss in relief for the Bulls. He allowed one unearned run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout in 1.0 inning pitched.

In game two, Akron jumped out to an early 7-2 lead. Lamar actually started the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Tyler Link singled and scored on Wade Mathis' RBI single.

Vince Chiera had an RBI single in the top of the second inning for the Zips that tied the game. Kurt Davidson put Akron up 3-1 with a 2-run home run.

Akron (5-5) score an unearned run in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth to increase its lead to 7-2. Kevin Haas had an RBI single and Doug McNulty added a 2-run single to center in the sixth.

Lamar repeated the scoring scenario of the first inning with Link scoring on an RBI single by Mathis, who was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Dunson hit a 3-run home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 7-6.

David Moore's sacrifice fly to left field drove in Brian Taylor with the tying run in the seventh inning. Steven Tucker singled to right field and Nik Gumeson tripled when his line drive up the middle ricocheted off reliever Jared Patterson's head. Patterson, who appeared to be fine, was replaced by Ryne Romick.

Gumeson scored on a fielding error by Haas at second base and Link drove in Dunson with a double to center field to put Lamar up 9-7.

Lamar closed out the scoring when David Moore doubled down the right field line in the bottom of the eighth inning and scored on Tucker's sacrifice fly.

Jim Niesuchouski (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win in relief with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief with one strikeout. Erickson came in to record the final out to earn his second save of the day and his fifth of the season.

Patterson (0-1) took the loss for the Zips, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits in one-third of an inning pitched.