Maybe it was the change in game time, or maybe it was just being glad to be playing at home at Sullivan Field, but whatever the reason the Incarnate Word baseball team was able to fight back from two deficits to defeat St. Mary's University, 5-2, on Tuesday evening.
It was the first win of the season for UIW (1-2), which has had five games get canceled due to poor weather both at home and on the road already this season.
The game had a fast clip to it as neither team could do much the first three innings, but the Rattlers (6-2, No. 3 in the South Central Region) struck first in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.
Incarnate Word answered in the sixth, manufacturing a run with a sac-bunt by John Zule and a sac-fly by third baseman Adam Pena to score Lucas Miller.
STMU answered with a 1-run double in the top of the 7th, but Incarnate Word was able to get two runners on base against the Rattlers' Derek Moczygemba, prompting a pitching change as Derrick Walls came to the plate.
On the first pitch he saw, Walls cracked a triple to left field and scored Hector Flores and Ryan Flowers for a 3-2 lead. Walls would later score when Miller hit a single, making it 4-2.
The Cardinals got an extra run in the bottom of the 8th inning when a routine ground ball went through an infielder's legs to score Slade Brown.
Marc Gomez started the game for UIW and went five complete innings, striking out two STMU batters and giving up just one run (earned). Ethan Lutz took over for three innings in the 6th, striking out 6 batters and allowing just one run (earned) on four hits for his first win of the season.
Dylan Boss pitched the top of the 9th, allowing one hit and striking out a batter for the save.
Incarnate Word plays host to St. Edward's University on Friday in a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m.
Incarnate Word 5, St. Mary's Univ. 2 (Feb 14, 2012 at San Antonio, TX)
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St. Mary's Univ..... 000 100 100 - 2 10 1 (6-2)
Incarnate Word...... 000 001 31X - 5 6 2 (1-2)
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Pitchers: St. Mary's Univ. - Derek Moczygemba; Kyle Bumpas(7); Matt McClain(8) and Scott Slusher; M.P. Cokinos. Incarnate Word - Marc Gomez; Ethan Lutz(6); Dylan Boss(9) and Zac Russell.
Win-Ethan Lutz(1-0) Save-Dylan Boss(1) Loss-Derek Moczygemba(0-1) T-2:35 A-300
Weather: Grey skies and wind
Game: UIWBSB03
