The UIW baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader against West Texas A&M in Canyon, taking the first game 5-3, but dropping the second matchup on a bases-loaded grand slam, 9-5.

The Cardinals are now 16-7 overall and 14-5 in the Lone Star Conference.

Jorge Guarneros pitched his way to his sixth win of the year (6-0), going six innings with five strikeouts and one walk in 27 batters faced. Elroy Urbina earned his fourth save of the season, pitching with a 2-run lead in the seventh inning.

UIW built a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, getting started by Steven Vidaurri who singled to start the inning off. He advanced to second base ona wild pitch and then reached home on an RBI single by Matt Roohan. Roohan then scored when Mike De La Roas hit a double down the left field line. De La Rosa scored following a single into right-center by Ryan Flowers and then Josiah Rodriguez hit a single to left field that scored Flowers.

West Texas scored three runs in the fifth, but couldn't tie the game. UIW added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.

In game two, UIW and West Texas traded the lead a few times going into the ninth inning, but the Cardinals' 5-2 advantage was equaled in the bottom half of the final inning, 5-5, before WT blasted a home run over the left field wall with the bases loaded to win the game, 9-5.

Keith Vasquez took the loss in game three.

The Cardinals will play against Texas-Permian Basin en route back to San Antonio on Sunday afternoon.