BEAUMONT, Texas (Interstat) — The Lamar Cardinals (28-25) host the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (25-28) on Friday evening in a pivotal nonconference matchup. The two Southland Conference rivals last met in late February, when Lamar swept a three-game series in Beaumont, winning 6-2, 1-0 and 2-1 in 10 innings. Both teams enter the contest looking to snap one-game losing streaks.

Lamar dropped a 2-0 decision to Stephen F. Austin on Thursday, despite a strong outing from right-hander Travis Lutz, who allowed one earned run over seven innings while striking out seven. Lutz has been a reliable arm for the Cardinals, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.29 ERA over his last two starts, including eight innings of two-run ball against Southeastern Louisiana on May 3 and a six-inning shutout performance at New Orleans on April 26. On the season, Lutz has a 3.38 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 30 innings.

Texas-Rio Grande Valley also lost Thursday, falling 6-5 to Northwestern State. Colton Vercoe started for the Vaqueros, allowing one earned run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out five. Vercoe has been inconsistent of late, with a five-run outing against Tarleton State on May 8, but he also turned in a quality start against Incarnate Word on May 1, allowing one earned run over five innings. For the season, Vercoe has a 4.91 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 22 innings. His ability to limit damage will be key against a Lamar lineup that has scored 10 or more runs in four of its last 10 games.

The Vaqueros have shown some offensive firepower, scoring nine runs at Oregon State on April 29 and 10 runs at McNeese State on April 26. Freshman first baseman Armani Raygoza went 3-for-3 with an RBI in Thursday’s loss. Lamar counters with a balanced attack and a defense that has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five of its last seven games.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the Vaqueros are projected to win 6-5. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.