April 20, 2008

Box Score

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Lamar scored three runs in the top of the 12th to defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Sunday and clinch the series 2-1 at Fairgrounds Field Sunday afternoon.

After both teams played their first extra-inning game of the season on Saturday, they went two innings better Sunday as Lamar (23-16, 12-6 Southland) won its longest game since a 12-inning win over Louisiana Tech on April 19, 2005. TAMUCC (14-25, 9-9 SLC) lost a series to LU on the final day for the second-consecutive season.

Tyler Link led off the 12th with a double down the left-field line and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brian Taylor. Steven Tucker then drove in the third of his three RBI with a single to center to give Lamar a 6-5 lead. Tucker later came home on a double by Travis Dunson and Nik Gumeson ended the scoring with a single to right that scored Chris Dunkin.

John Ross Ramirez (1-1) then secured his first win in eight appeareances after striking out two in three innings of one-hit ball. He faced the minimum in his three innings and induced the last of Lamar's three double plays. Justin Walker threw a career-best nine innings and struck out seven while allowing five runs on 13 hits.

Lamar's top five batters each had at least two hits in the game, with Taylor going 4-for-5 on all singles and scoring three times. Tucker was 3-for-6 with a double and scored twice. His two-run double in the seventh tied the game at 5-5 and eventually forced the extra frames.

The Islanders had taken a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth after a string of five-straight singles helped them take their first lead of the game.

Bryant Sparkman (1-1) got the loss for A&M-CC after throwing five innings of relief. He faced the first two batter of the 12th including the leadoff double and sac bunt.

All three games this weekend were decided in the final at-bat. Lamar won the Friday and Sunday games in the top-half of the final inning and A&MCC claimed Saturday's game in walk-off fashion.

Lamar returns to play on Tuesday when it plays host to Louisiana-Lafayette (20-19). First pitch at Vincent-Beck Stadium is 6:30 p.m.