They had gotten the record to a perfect four and zero before one disastrous inning spoiled the broth Saturday when Incarnate Word's softball Cardinals split a pair of games in the UIW Round Robin.
UIW beat Emporia State 5-1 in the first game before dropping an 8-7 decision to St. Mary's.
In game one of the day Incarnate Word put up five spots in the bottom of the third and that was all junior right hander Briana Sanchez would need on the way to her second win of the year. Sanchez worked all seven innings giving up a lone run in the fourth. She allowed four hits, walked three and fanned nine.
This was sweet revenge for Sanchez from the last time she faced perennially tough Emporia. A year ago the Hornets beat UIW 4-3 in 13 innings. Sanchez went the distance that day throwing 334 pitches including 115 foul balls. She struck out a career best 16.
The Cardinals bunched their runs in the third beginning with a one-out Sarah O'Brien double to left. Ashley Freeman singled behind O'Brien. After a ground ball out Lea Padilla singled home O'Brien before ESU hurler Lauren Sharp walked the next two Cardinals forcing in a second run.
A third consecutive walk forced home a run and then Kim Hanson singled home two more to end the scoring.
Being on a roll to open the year the Cardinals could look no farther than the first inning against St. Mary's. The Rattlers left two runners on base in the top half of the frame but before that they scored eight runs on six hits and one UIW miscue. All eight hits were singles to go with three bases on balls.
All of that was against Whitney Waltrip (1-1). After that however she settled down and gave up just four hits the final six innings, walking none and striking out three.
Incarnate Word began to creep back into the mix by plating one in the bottom half of the first followed by three in the third on a three-run blast to left field by junior third baseman Monica Acuna. Acuna's big fly was the sole extra base hit among the game's 23 total safeties. The final three runs for the Cardinals came in the fifth when senior first baseman Kelley Moritz lined a two-RBI single to right and senior left fielder Sarah O'Brien drove home another with a single to left.
In both UIW halves of the sixth and seventh innings the Cardinals got two runners aboard but could not cross home plate.
Next up for Incarnate Word is a return engagement with Emporia State on Sunday at 11 a.m. on Cardinals Field.
GAME ONE
ESU 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 -- 1 4 0
UIW 0 0 5 0 0 0 x -- 5 6 2
Lauren Sharp, Karley Schmelzer (3) and Amanda Self. Briana Sanchez and Shelby Waltrip. WP—Sanchez (2-0). LP—Sharp (0-1).
GAME TWO
SMU 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 8 12 0
UIW 1 0 3 0 3 0 0 -- 7 11 1
Maricela Bissaro, Emily Brittain (3) and Ashley Behabetz. Whitney Waltrip and Sarah Holub. WP—Bissaro (1-0). LP—Waltrip (1-1). HR—UIW, Monica Acuna (2).
