Junior Tyler Carpenter went 2-for-5 on Saturday and now has hit safely in a career-high-tying 17 straight games.
BEAUMONT — Lamar broke open a 2-1 game with a five-run third and the Cardinals were able to hold off a furious rally in the middle innings by UTSA in a 13-9 victory on Saturday afternoon at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
The Cardinals (26-15, 11-9 SLC), who sent nine batters to the plate in the decisive frame, recorded five hits, including three doubles, and they were able to take advantage of a throwing error by Roadrunners second baseman Ryan Hutson on what could have been an inning-ending double play.
However, the Roadrunners (13-23, 4-16 SLC) did not go away without a fight.
After Lamar extended the lead to seven with another mark in the fourth, UTSA pulled within four in the next frame on freshman Daniel Rockett's second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left center, and senior Lance Brown's two-out, RBI single to right.
The Roadrunners then added three more an inning later when freshman Ryan Dalton, Hutson and junior Brett Aguilar all went deep off Cardinals starter Eric Harrington. Dalton led off the frame with his team-leading 10th bomb of the season and Hutson followed with his ninth. Aguilar then left the park two hitters later for his first long ball of the year to pull the Birds within one at 8-7.
Andy Mena's two-run single with two down in the bottom of the frame pushed the advantage back to three and Lamar added another pair in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
The two sides exchanged runs in the eighth and senior Ryan Rummel hit his sixth homer of the spring in the ninth to close out the scoring.
The Cardinals won their seventh game in a row, while the Roadrunners lost for the sixth consecutive contest, matching their longest losing streak of the spring.
Harrington (6-1) got the win despite allowing seven runs on 13 hits in his 5.1 innings. Brandon Chambers, who entered the game with runners on first and second and one down in the seventh, went the final 2.2 innings to earn the first save of his career.
Junior southpaw D.D. Towler (1-4) picked up the loss after surrendering two runs on a pair of hits and five walks in 1.2 panels. UTSA used a half dozen pitchers on the day and they combined to allow 16 hits to go along with 11 walks and a hit batter.
The Cardinals plated the game's first run in the opening frame when Cameron Campbell followed a two-out single by Quentin Luquette with a double to right-center.
UTSA was able to tie the game at one in the following stanza.
Rummel led off the inning with his team-leading 11th double of the season and Dalton followed with a base hit to left.
Lamar took the lead for good in the bottom of the second when Luquette drew a two-out walk with the bases loaded.
Junior Tyler Carpenter, who was 2-for-5 on the day, led off the fourth with a single to extend his hitting streak to a career-high-tying 17 games.
Luquette, who reached base in five of his six plate appearances, was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a pair of RBIs to lead the Cards at the plate. Every Lamar starter crossed the plate at least once and all nine reached by either hit or walk.
Hutson led the Birds with three hits.
UTSA will look to avoid its fourth Southland Conference sweep of the season at 1 p.m. on Sunday.