Needing a win to get back over .500, the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team hosted Texas-Permian Basin at Sullivan Field this Sunday, beating the Falcons 10-5.
The Cardinals (5-4) got big hits early off the bats of Leroy Urbina and Josiah Rodriguez. Urbina hit home runs of two and three runs in the second and fourth innings, respectively. Rodriguez hit a solo shot in the fourth inning, which lifted UIW to a 6-0 lead.
Then, in the fifth inning, Incarnate Word had Steven Vidaurri at third base and Mike De la Rosa at first base. De la Rosa made his way halfway to second base when UTPB's catcher got up to attempt the throw to catch him stealing, but by hesitating and forcing the Falcons' catcher to throw to second (a throw that De la Rosa beat), Vidaurri then ran home for the 7-0 lead.
With the 7-0 lead, the Cardinals took out starting pitcher Ethan Lutz. Lutz pitched five full innings, surrendering just three hits and walking just two batters, but striking out 6 Falcons in 20 batters faced.
UTPB (4-7) then scored five runs, three coming in the seventh inning, to close the gap to 7-5. However, Incarnate Word scored three innings in the bottom of the 8th to kill any chance of a Falcon comeback, after Daniel Qualls (hitting for Rodriguez) started out with a double and eventually scored on an RBI single by Hector Flores. Then, Flores and Derrick Walls came home on a 2-RBI single by Vidaurri to give Incarnate Word the 10-5 lead and the win for Lutz (1-1).
Incarnate Word has off until Friday afternoon when they play host to Northeastern Oklahoma State University at Sullivan Field in a three-game, Lone Star Conference series. Friday's doubleheader starts at 1 p.m., as does Saturday's 9-inning contest.
