BEAUMONT, Texas (Interstat) — The Lamar Cardinals capitalized on early Tulane mistakes and a decisive sixth-inning rally to overcome a four-run deficit and defeat the Green Wave 9-5 in nonconference baseball Tuesday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

The game’s pivotal shift occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning, erasing Tulane’s early advantage and handing momentum permanently to the home team. Trailing 5-4, Lamar’s offense awakened against the Green Wave bullpen. Pinch-runner Kade Sunday scored the tying run on a two-out single by Mike Taylor. Taylor then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored the go-ahead run on another wild pitch during the same at-bat, part of a two-run frame that gave Lamar a 6-5 lead.

Lamar extended its lead in the seventh, scoring two more runs without a hit, leveraging two walks, a hit batter, a run-scoring groundout and another costly wild pitch. The Cardinals added an insurance run in the eighth on a dropped third strike and subsequent wild pitch.

The comeback overshadowed a strong start for Tulane, which built a 5-1 lead by the fourth inning. Jason Wachs provided the early offense for the Green Wave, going 2 for 2 with a two-run double and two walks. His double in the fourth drove in two runs, seemingly giving Tulane a comfortable cushion.

Lamar chipped away in the third, scoring three runs on four consecutive hits off Tulane starter LuisPablo Navarro and reliever Jack Brafa, highlighted by RBI singles from Alex Rodriguez and River Sparks.

Tulane’s defense, however, proved costly. The Green Wave committed two errors in the first inning, leading to an unearned run, and grounded into two double plays that stifled potential rallies.

Ethan Oceguera earned the win for Lamar with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit. He was part of a Cardinals bullpen that, after starter A.J. Kostic allowed one earned run over two innings, held Tulane to one run over the final seven frames. Fabian Ramirez and Blayne Fritcher also contributed scoreless appearances.

For Tulane, Navarro was charged with two unearned runs over 2 1/3 innings. Thomas Vincent provided two scoreless innings of relief, but Jude Abbadessa and Sam Larson struggled in the sixth and seventh, allowing the Cardinals to seize control.

Lamar improved to 18-15 overall, while Tulane fell to .500 at 17-17. The result defied the projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 6-5 Tulane victory, though Lamar entered as a slight favorite with a 54.3% win probability according to the service’s ELO system.

Tulane returns home to open a three-game series against East Carolina on Friday. Lamar travels to face Nicholls State for a three-game set beginning the same day.