Incarnate Word took an early lead in Tuesday's road game against University of Houston-Victoria, but the NAIA Jaguars reclaimed the lead soon after and never looked back, beating UIW, 8-3.

Incarnate Word is now 18-10 overall.

The Cardinals scored two run in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on an error that allowed Jackson Woodruff to get on base as Josiah Rodriguez and Ryan Flowers hit back-to-back singles to score their teammate. Derrick Walls then scored Brett Bippert (pinch-running for Rodriguez) on a single of his own to increase the lead to 2-0.

However, in the third inning, UHV started things off with a double and went on to score four runs on five hits – with three of those runs coming after the Cardinals had gotten two outs, but an error kept the inning alive for the Jaguars.

Houston-Victoria kept adding to their lead and were up 7-2 in the seventh inning before UIW could get on the scoreboard again. Rodriguez got things going for UIW once again, hitting a single to center field. Bippert once again pinch-ran and was scored a few batters later on an RBI single by Matt Flores.

However, that was the last run UIW would bring home, and in the game, the Cardinals stranded 13 runners, including a bases-loaded situation in the fifth inning.

Rodriguez led the team at the plate, hitting 3-for-4. Flowers went 2-for-4, as did Walls. Matt Flores hit twice in five at-bats.

The Cardinals return to Lone Star Conference action this Friday and Saturday in a road series against Southwestern Oklahoma.