BEAUMONT, Texas - Southern University centerfielder Javeyan Williams finished one homerun shy of hitting for the cycle but Lamar's walk-off single handed the Jaguars a 6-5 road loss Tuesday night at Vincent Beck Stadium.
Williams went 3 of 4 at the plate with a RBI and a run scored. The sophomore led off the third inning with a single before popping out to second base in his next at bat.
His seventh inning triple down the left field line scored Hampton Hudson and helped Southern take a 4-0 lead.
After Lamar rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, Williams positioned the Jaguars to regain the lead in the ninth with a double to right centerfield in his final at bat. Lamar managed to escape the scoring threat after retiring Tyler LaPorte and Coby Taylor with a pair of strikeout.
Reliever Whilhelm Allen forced a fly out to centerfield to open the ninth, JC Correa reached first base on an error by the shortstop then advanced to second on Robin Adames single. Lamar completed the scoring rally of six unanswered runs when Logan Berlof singled to right centerfield to end the game.
Southern's pitching staff produced six innings on scoreless baseball Tuesday led by Eli Finney, who pitched four innings and allowed three hits with three walks. Middle reliever Bryce Ross and Austin Haensel combined to hold Lamar without a hit in two innings of work before the Cardinal five-run seventh tied the game.
Southern returns to the friendly confines of Lee-Hines Field to host Grambling State in a pivotal Southwestern Athletic Conference weekend series starting Friday night at 6 p.m.
The SU Baseball has dubbed the series as Baseball Alumni Weekend and will pay homage to the 1959 team, who will be celebrating their 60th anniversary of winning the NAIA National Championship with a special pregame ceremony on Saturday before Game 2 of the Grambling series.
