Box Score

BEAUMONT – In a game that was scoreless after six innings, both team combined for eight runs on six hits over the final two and a half innings as the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs baseball team fell to the Lamar University Cardinals 5-3 on Saturday at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

The Broncs (6-5) got on the board in the top of the seventh against Cardinals (7-4) reliever Jayson McKinley. Junior Evan Mason reached on an error and moved to second on a groundout. After a bunt single by junior Jesus Garcia put runners on the corners, sophomore PSJA alum Bryan Ramirez executed a squeeze play, allowing Mason to score on the sacrifice bunt.

In the bottom of the inning, however, Justin Eckols and Sam Bumpers drew leadoff walks against senior Kyle Tokunaga (0-2). Redshirt senior Edinburg alum Austin Casas came in and, after getting a fly out, allowed RBI-singles to Jude Vidrine and Kevin Santana, threw a wild pitch to score a run, and then allowed an RBI-single to Kyle Markum to make it 4-1.

The Broncs got one of those runs back in the eighth against Brandon Kirkham (1-0) when senior Dillon Engelhart singled, sophomore Jacob Huckabay was plunked, senior Shane Ammon laid down a sacrifice bunt and Mason hit an RBI-groundout to make it 4-2.

Engelhart posted his second-straight multi-hit game and first three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with a double.

The Cardinals got that run back in the eighth on a two-out RBI-single by Virdine.

Garcia drew a lead off walk in the ninth to knock our Kirkham. Danny Fernandez came in and allowed a one out walk to senior Alberto Morales. Victor Garcia Jr. followed by reaching on a fielder's choice that included an error that allowed Garcia to score and Garcia Jr. to move to second. Fernandez followed by striking out Engelhart to end the game for his first save.

Senior Matthew Harell pitched the first five innings for the Broncs, striking out four while scattering four hits and four walks.

Freshman Tanner Dickerson pitched a perfect sixth.

Will Hibbs started for the Cardinals, pitching four and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out four.

The Broncs and Cardinals complete this three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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