The Cardinals and Rattlers were able to get one game in the books before rain made playing baseball impossible on Wednesday night, with UIW winning the game 4-3 in 10 innings, and then STMU taking the nightcap, 10-1, in a rain-delayed conference game.
The two teams were tied at 3-3 in the fourth inning and had to battle six more innings before UIW was able to get the winning run across the plate.
The Cardinals had an out on the board when Reno Malay sent a pitch into right-center field for a double. Then, Greg Barbaro pinch-hit and made it all the way to second base on an error by the STMU shortstop, which also advanced Malay to third base. Next, Rattlers pitcher NAME had a pitch go wild and Malay scored the go-ahead run.
Incarnate Word left Barbaro stranded on third base and then had to hold off St. Mary's in the bottom of the 10th. Alfredo Caballero, UIW's closer, was working his fourth inning in relief of Kirk Jewasko and got STMU to fly out, foul out and go down swinging to get the victory and keep UIW's on top of the Heartland Conference.
Caballero struck out four Rattlers for his fifth win of the year (5-1 overall), while Jewasko pitched six inning and struck out six but wasn't part of the decision.
Game 2 for the day was delayed for rain, but after Incarnate Word gave up a 1-0 lead by surrendering 10 runs to STMU in the bottom of the fifth. The game would finish that way and the Cards and Rattlers split Wednesday's game since weather made it impossible to restart.
UIW (32-10 overall, 30-8) and STMU (29-14, 26-12) play another doubleheader at St. Mary's on Thursday, starting at 2 p.m.
