After last weekend's season-opening series against Southern Arkansas University was washed away by rain, the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team had to wait until this Friday before seeing any live action against a real opponent – and do it on the road in a pair of neutral-site matchups against Lone Star Conference teams.
The delayed start to the season might have been what was bothering UIW as they dropped both games on Friday – 11-4 to Tarleton State and 2-1 to Eastern New Mexico University – in the UT-Permian Basin Classic.
Both games against TSU and ENMU did not count as Lone Star Conference games. The Cardinals will be taking on Southeastern Oklahoma State (0:30 a.m.) and New Mexico Highlands University (2:30 p.m.) on Saturday before heading home to San Antonio.
Friday's early game against the Texans was an ugly affair, with both teams combining for nine errors.
Tarleton took a 4-0 lead in the top of the 3rd inning before UIW tried to rally back with a 3-run inning of their own, 4-3. But, TSU continued to score the rest of the game and Incarnate Word could only generate one more run (in the 7th inning).
TSU had 7 hits to UIW's 12. Kirk Jewasko took the loss (0-1).
In the second game of the day,
Eastern New Mexico and Incarnate Word both got great outings by their pitchers, with Jorge Guarneros pitching 6.0 in the start for the Cardinals, striking out 7 Greyhounds. Dylan Boss finished up the game, giving up no runs and striking out 5 opponents.
ENMU took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but Incarnate Word answered back with a run of its own when Greg Barbaro hit a double that scored Slade Brown to knot up the score at 1-1.
The Greyhounds got the game-winning run in the next inning, when a lead-off walk proved to be UIW's downfall following a stolen base and a single to centerfield as ENMU lead 2-1 and the Cardinals couln't score the rest of the way – having a runner in scoring position and not able to bring him home, twice.
The Cardinals play their first home game on Tuesday, February 14th, at Sullivan Field against St. Mary's University at 2 p.m.
Tarleton State 11, Incarnate Word 4 (Feb 10, 2012 at Odessa Texas)
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Tarleton State...... 013 011 212 - 11 7 4 (4-0)
Incarnate Word...... 003 000 100 - 4 12 5 (0-1)
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Pitchers: Tarleton State - M. Buckmaste; T. Ross(8) and R. Small. Incarnate Word - Kirk Jewasko; Michael Farrenkopf(6); Zach Anderson(8); Scott Brunner(9) and Zac Russell.
Win-M. Buckmaste(1-0) Loss-Kirk Jewasko(0-1) T-2:45 A-30
Game: UIWBSB01
Eastern New Mexico 2, Incarnate Word 1 (Feb 10, 2012 at UTPB)
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Incarnate Word...... 000 100 000 - 1 4 1 (0-2)
Eastern New Mexico.. 001 100 00X - 2 5 0 (2-0)
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Pitchers: Incarnate Word - Jorge Guarneros; Dylan Boss(7) and Greg Barbaro. Eastern New Mexico - R. Boydstun; D. Johnson(7) and P. Creamer.
Win-R. Boydstun(1-0) Save-D. Johnson(1) Loss-Jorge Guarneros(0-1) T-4:50 A-30
R. Boydstun faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Game: UIWBSB02
