BEAUMONT, Texas – Completing the season-opening three-game sweep, the Lamar Cardinals defeated the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 5-4, on Sunday, February 19 at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Making his collegiate debut and tallying 1.2 innings of two-run baseball, only one of which was earned, on one hit with a pair of walks and a strikeout, North Canton, Ohio freshman left-hander Tanner Ware took the loss for Oakland.

Redshirt sophomore right-hander Patrick Hail picked up the win for the Cardinals and classmate and fellow righty Jackson Cleveland, who was the winning pitcher Friday, handled the ninth inning for his first save.

Lamar jumped out to a 2-0 lead Sunday, scoring once in each of the first two frames, and the Golden Grizzlies registered their first run in the third when graduate student designated hitter Jared Miller doubled home junior catcher Brandon Heidal.

The very next batter, senior left fielder Ian Cleary singled through the right side to plate graduate student first baseman Gabe Lux and even things up at two.

Courtesy of a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Josh Blankenship, the Cardinals moved back ahead, 3-2, in their half of the third and added two more on a triple by senior right fielder Jack Schell in the sixth.

Oakland cut it two, 5-3, when sophomore second baseman Peter Jelenic came home on a groundout by redshirt sophomore center fielder Reagan Paulina in the seventh and made it a one-run game in the ninth when graduate student shortstop Thomas Green doubled in Nigh.

With Lamar clinging to a 5-4 lead, Green advanced to third on another Paulina groundout for the second out in the ninth, where he replaced by freshman pinch-runner Reggie Bussey.

Cleveland was able to strike Heidal out looking, however, allowing the Cardinals to hang on and sweep the series with all three victories coming by just a single run.

In his first appearance in just over 11 months, redshirt senior right-hander Bryce Kontizer started for the Golden Grizzlies Sunday and pitched the first inning, giving up the one run on two hits with a walk. Classmate and Ohlone College transfer Sean Fekete made his Oakland debut, as well, taking over for Ware in the third and recording the final 16 outs.

With the 2023 season's first series now in the books, Green leads the Golden Grizzlies with four hits, two of which are doubles, and Miller has a team-high three RBI.

UP NEXT
Continuing their season-opening stay in the Lone Star State, Oakland will next battle the Big 12 Conference's Kansas Jayhawks in four neutral-site contests at The Depot at Cleburne Station from Friday-Monday, February 24-27.

Kansas began their 2023 campaign by taking two of three from the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) Valparaiso Beacons in Corpus Christi, Texas.