In a repeat of a Lone Star Conference matchup from last week, the University of the Incarnate Word faced off against Southeastern Oklahoma State University with the possibility of the season ending if they lost.
And while the start of the game had an eerie sense of déjà vu, the Cardinals (37-17) rebounded from an early deficit to claim a 5-2 victory against the Savage Storm and stay for another day at the 2011 NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship at St. Mary's University.
Senior pitcher Elroy Urbina pitched five innings after taking over for start Marc Gomez and the two UIW pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and just seven hits against (5 for Gomez, 2 for Urbina). Urbina earned the victory (1-3 on the season) since he came into the game too early to go for the save, but for the second game of the Regional, the man accustomed to closing for UIW pitched more innings than a closer normally does.
“We weren't trying to pitch Elroy for five innings but we had to,” head coach Danny Heep said. “The third game has always been a struggle for us this season and it's getting to the point where we have to piece together nine innings. Whatever we have to do, anything is on the table.”
For his part, Urbina was just glad that he was able to not only bounce back from the outing he had against St. Mary's on Thursday night (a 6-5 loss that last 12 innings), but to get some payback against a team that had beaten him up the last time he faced them.
“I'm happy that I was able to come out and do my job. These guys got to me last time, so this was pretty nice to come back and beat them.”
The Cardinals fell behind 2-0 in the first inning as Gomez loaded the bases and a sac-bunt by Southeastern turned into two unearned runs thanks to an error at the plate that allowed two runners to score. The early mistake and deficit worried Heep.
“We did the same thing at the Lone Star Championship against this very same team – starting out with an error that scored runs and putting us behind. Today, we decided to pull it together and fight back.”
The Cardinals fought back by shutting down SOSU's bats for the rest of the game, putting 0s on the Savage Storm's half of the scoreboard at V.J. Keefe Memorial Field. In addition, they made the most of their eight hits.
Incarnate Word took the lead, 3-2, in the fourth inning, highlighted by a 2-RBI double by Josiah Rodriguez.
That 3-2 lead, along with two base runners, is what Urbina inherited in the fifth inning when he made his way to the mound. He threw efficiently and allowed just two hits and walked only one batter to do his part – but in the later innings, he got some help from his teammates that truly seemed to seal the game for Incarnate Word.
Urbina had runners on first and second when the batter ripped a single right past Urbina's head and into center field. The SOSU runner at second rounded third, intent to score while just as intent to stop him was center fielder Ryan Flowers.
Flowers, as he had done earlier in this tournament, rocked and fired a throw a few feet up the third base line where Daniel Qualls was waiting. No relay needed, the throw hit Qualls in the glove a few steps ahead of the runner and the tag was made – saving the run and keeping Incarnate Word up, 3-2.
“I remember the ball wizzing by my head,” Urbina said about the play afterwards. “Flowers came through for me on the same sort of play last time and I had faith that he would do it again.”
The gun-down at the plate seemingly energized the Cardinal defense and they quickly helped Urbina end the half-inning for Southeastern.
Heep found Flowers after the team headed into the dugout.
“I told him 'You just hit a home run for us',” Heep explained. “I tell our guys that when the bats aren't going, playing defense can score runs for you – it was a big play and you could see the guys for Southeastern react.”
UIW added two insurance runs in the 8th inning, but Southeastern never really threatened again the rest of the way.
Steven Vidaurri and Matt Roohan both hit 2-for-4 while John Zule, Mike De La Rosa, Rodriguez and Flowers all had a hit for the Cardinals.
Now, UIW knows it will play at 1 p.m. on Sunday. What team they play – the winner of St. Mary's University and Central Missouri to be played this evening – is still undecided. However, Incarnate Word knows that it has to play, and win, two games on Sunday to advance to the NCAA World Series.
If STMU wins, then UIW faces Central Missouri and must win to face the Rattlers in the Championship. If the Mules win, the Incarnate Word faces them in the final at 1 p.m. and will have essentially win a doubleheader (Central Missouri still hadn't lost in the double-elimination tournament going into the Saturday night game) to keep their season alive.
