Quirion, Lamontagne lead Lamar to three wins in four-game series

Déric Lamontagne’s first homer in NCAA propels Lamar to victory!

By Jacques Lanciault, Canadian Baseball Network, March 14, 2021

Déric Lamontagne opened Thursday’s game for his Texas Lamar University Cardinals as a third baseman.

In his first at-bat of the game, in the second inning, with a 3-2 count, the 21-year-old took off and sent the opposing pitcher’s offering over the right field fence. It gave his team a 2-0 lead, a lead that the Cardinals have never lost against the University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks. And it was a sign of good things to come.

In fact, Lamar University, which plays in the first division of the NCAA, finally won 3-0. For 3B Lamontagne (Sainte-Julie, Que.) it was his first home run of the season and his first in his NCAA career.

Lamontagne’s Quebec teammate, C Anthony Quirion (Dixville, Que.) didn’t have a hit in the clash, but he produced the team’s run in the game on a grounder in the eighth.

Since the start of the season, Quirion produced a run in each of his team’s six games. Given that he had knocked in runs in his last two games of the 2020 season, Quirion is sailing on a series of eight consecutive games with at least one RBI.

Quirion, a former Clarendon College Chaparall in the NJCAA, like his teammate Lamontagne, finished the game with a walk in four appearances in the batter’s box.

Lamar won three out of four on strong pitching -- shut outs in each win -- but the two Quebec players were contributors in the series win.

3B Quirion brought went 2-for-4 record, with a single and a double, crossing the plate for his team’s run of insurance in a 2-0 win over Arlington. Lamontagne was brought in as pinch hitter late in the game, but was unable to reach base.

Two days after hitting his first career home run in the NCAA Lamontagne added a second in an 11-3 defeat against Arlington.

Lamontagne slammed his home run in the eighth inning to right centre field. Lamontagne bounced to second where the ground ball was booted. On the play Quirion scored giving Lamar a 2-0 lead. He did not collect an RBI ... but if he hadn’t made contact with the ball, nothing would have happened!

The infielder who wears the colors of the Dukes of Longueuil of the Quebec Elite Junior League finished 1-for-4 record with a run scored and a run batted in. Quirion was held in check in three appearances in the batter’s rectangle, crossing home plate once.

And in the finale of the four-game series, Lamar won 4-0 as C Quirion largely contributed to the victory.

In the third inning, Quirion slammed his first home run of the season, a solo strike that then made the score 2-0 in favor of Lamar’s troops.

Then in the eighth inning, he crossed the plate for his team’s fourth run … after having hitting a single to left on a 2-2 pitch, and stealing second goal.

Quirion finished the game strong with a 2-for-4 record, with a home run, one stolen base, two runs and one RBI.

Lamontagne, had his first three-hit game in American college ball. He brought back a 3-for-4 record, with a single to left in the second, a double to right in the next inning and a single up the middle in the sixth.

In the series, LaMontagne had five hits in the series with a double and two homers with three RBIs, while Quirion had four hits, including a double and a homer with two RBIs.