BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar shook off a disappointing opening to their season with a commanding 8-0 victory over Missouri State Saturday morning at Vincent-Beck Stadium. Cardinal starter Noah Sills stymied the Bears for six innings, while the LU offense erupted for six early runs en route to its first victory of the season.

Sills turned in a dominant effort, holding the Bears (2-1) hitless until the fourth and facing the minimum through five innings. In all, the junior left-hander limited a Missouri State offense that racked up 22 hits in its first two outings of the season to just four singles in his 6.0 innings of work. LU reliever Tanner Driskill closed out the shutout with three scoreless innings of his own to earn the save, as the duo scattered five singles while striking out seven.

Held to two runs on seven hits in their 11-2 setback to the Bears on Friday evening, the Cardinals (1-1) wasted no time in breaking their bats out of hibernation in the rematch. MSU freshman Ty Buckner issued back-to-back walks to open the home half of the first, and Robin Adames liner up the middle chased home Cole Coker for the game's first tally. Chase Kemp made it a 2-0 contest with a bouncer to the right side, before four consecutive two-out singles doubled the LU run total. Mike Leal and Cole Secrest added run-scoring hits, but Bears right-fielder Jack Duffy gunned down a Cardinal runner at the plate to end the inning.

With Sills in full command, the Cardinals added two more runs in the third without the benefit of a hit. Two more walks, a fielding error and a hit batsman pushed the LU advantage to 6-0 before the Bears put their first man on base in the top of the fourth via a John Privitera infield hit. A line drive to second negated that result for the first in a pair of LU double plays in the fourth and fifth innings. MSU would not put multiple men on base in an inning until the sixth, when Privitera added his second straight single following a Ben Whetstone base hit.

But Sills kept the shutout intact, retiring Hunter Steinmetz on a ground ball to first to end the threat and his afternoon. Driskill picked up right where his teammate left off, working around a two-out Drew Millas single in the seventh, then retiring the side in order in the eighth.

Secrest, who went 3-for-3 with three RBIs on the day, launched a solo shot to left to open a two-run eighth for LU. Adames added another run-scoring hit with his two-out double to left that capped the scoring.

Sophomore left-hander Nate Witherspoon provided a bright spot for the Bears with 4.1 innings of shutout relief. He allowed just three hits and fanned a pair of Cardinals, while Privitera led the Bears with a 2-for-3 day at the plate.
 
Missouri State will conclude its stay in Beaumont with a 10 a.m. game Sunday against Texas Southern.