It was a battle between first place and third place in the Lone Star Conference at Sullivan Field on Friday afternoon, as the conference-leading UIW Cardinals played host to Cameron University in a LSC doubleheader.
Game one featured a dramatic comeback from an early deficit as Incarnate Word won, 11-10, and the second game was a case of UIW just being out-powered by the big bats of the Aggies in a 13-0 shellacking.
UIW's record is now at 17-9 overall and 14-6 in the Lone Star, while Cameron kept pace and now has a 11-6 conference mark and is 18-9 overall.
The first game started out like any other for Incarnate Word – letting the opponent score a run in the first inning (a solo home run by Cameron's Chase Larsson) and then the Cardinal bats starting off hot – scoring three runs on 6 hits (all singles) for the 3-1 lead.
But then, something happened that Cardinal fans aren't used to seeing: starting pitcher Kirk Jewasko getting shelled for seven runs in a top half of the second inning that had just three hits – two of which were over the wall (a two run homer and a grand slam). When the damage was done, UIW was trailing 8-3.
But Incarnate Word didn't quit, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second and another run in the third to close the gap to 8-6. At some point in the dugout, Jewasko told his team that if they could hold the Aggies to three runs or less the rest of the way, he'd get them the win.
The team responded and Cameron only scored two runs the rest of the seven inning contest. Jewasko pitched six complete innings. He didn't strike out as many batters as normal, but he did what he had to do to control the damage and give the UIW batters a chance to come back.
In the sixth inning, the Cardinals went on a five-run, four-hit tear that was aided by two Cameron errors to retake the lead, 11-9. John Zule and Steven Vidaurri got things started by hitting back-to-back singles and both runners were advanced to third and second after a balk by the Aggie pitcher. With those two in scoring position, Matt Roohan hit a ball to second base that allowed Zule to score and Vidaurri to advance to third. Up next, Mike De La Rosa reached first on an error (Vidaurri scored) and then made it to second base when the third baseman's throw drew his teammate off the bag on a fielder's choice by Josiah Rodriguez.
De La Rosa scored on an RBI single for Daniel Qualls who pinch-hit for Leroy Urbina. Then, Rodriguez and Brett Bippert (pinch-running for Qualls) scored on an RBI double by Hector Flores to take the lead 11-9.
Cameron made it interesting, however, hitting a solo home run in the top of the seventh against Elroy Urbina, but the Cardinals' closer got the final batter to strike out for his 5th save of the season and Jewasko's comeback prediction came true (Jewasko's record improved to 6-1).
However, the lucky mojo for Incarnate Word didn't stick around for the second part of the doubleheader, as Cameron's Ricky Cramer threw eight complete innings, allowing no runs and just three hits, and UIW was shut out in a run-shorted 13-0 loss.
Cameron belted three more home runs in the 13-hit onslaught.
On the Cardinal's side of things, Matt Roohan did not hit one of the team's three balls in-play, ending his team-leading hitting streak at 22 games.
Now, the series between the two teams is tied with Saturday's tie-breaker scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
