In Friday night's double header against Eastern New Mexico, the Cardinals couldn't be stopped.  Homers by third baseman Monica Acuna and designated player Lea Padilla helped UIW to a five inning 10-0 win in game one and another home run by Padilla along with one from catcher Shelby Waltrip would leae UIW with a 8-3 win in game two.
 
While the Cardinals didn't see any action in the first inning of the first game, the second and third innings would be huge ones.
 
After singles by second baseman Melanie Padilla and left fielder Sarah O'Brien and a triple from short stop Ashley Freeman, the Cardinals ended the second inning with a 4-0 lead over the Zias.
 
After a quick three outs by the Cardinal defense, UIW was up to bat again and the third inning would be even better than the second.  Third to bat in the third inning, Acuna bombed one over left field for a two run homer.  Another triple by Freeman would drive in three more runs for the Cardinals.
 
With a 9-0 lead and one out in the fourth inning, designated player Lea Padilla stepped up to bat and crushed the call over the center field fence for one last UIW run.  The Cardinals would end the game after a short five innings, 10-0.
 
Cardinal pitcher Briana Sanchez allowed just one hit in the first inning in the UIW win.  Eastern New Mexico pitcher Amy Smith pitched 2.1 innings and allowed six hits and six runs.  Her relief was, Katie Ramsay, pitched the remainder of the game and allowed three hits and four runs.  After taking out the Zias, UIW's Sanchez is now 10-4.
 
The Cardinals were slow to score in the second game but, just like game one, once they started, they couldn't be stopped.
 
After UIW catcher Shelby Waltrip's home run in the second inning, the Cardinals would load the bases for center fielder Mallory Henry.  Henry would hit a triple and drive in three runs.  Designated player Lea Padilla had the last word in the inning with a left field homer, enabling Henry to score.  At the end of the second, UIW had a steep 5-0 lead on the Zias.
 
Cardinal pitcher Whitney Waltrip didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning.  That same inning the Zias would make their way onto the scoreboard with a run driven in by ENMU pitcher Amy Smith.
 
After letting ENMU score another run in the fifth, the Cardinals broke their three inning dry spell and put some more runs up in the sixth.  Unfortunately, ENMU wasn't ready to go down without a fight. The Zias found their bats in the seventh inning and put up one more run. With three runs in the sixth, the Cardinals dropped the Zias in game two 8-3.
 
UIW will take on ENMU for the third and final time in the three-game series at home on Saturday. The game will start at noon.
 
GAME ONE
 
Eastern New Mexico..00000 -  0  1  3
Incarnate Word..........0451X - 10  9  1
 
E - M. Reynosa; E.Livingston 2; A. Freeman. DP - ENMU 1. LOB - ENMU 5; UIW 2. 2B - A. Yarbrough(3). 3B - A. Freeman 2(3). HR - L. Padilla(3); M. Acuna(4). HBP - M. Reynosa. SB - E. Velasquez; D. Higgins; M. Padilla(2). CS - M. Henry.
 
Win - B. Sanchez (10-4). Loss - A. Smith (3-8). Save - None. WP - K. Ramsay. HBP - by B. Sanchez (M. Reynosa).
 
GAME TWO
 
Eastern New Mexico.. 000 110 1 -  3  6  0
Incarnate Word…....... 050 003 X -  8 13  3
 
E - M. Acuna; W. Waltrip; C. Muskopf. DP - UIW 1. LOB - ENMU 7; UIW 8. 2B - L. Padilla(5). 3B - VonSchriltz; M. Henry(1). HR - L. Padilla(4); S. Waltrip(2). HBP - A. Sandoval. SB - M. Alderette 2; S. Chavez; T. Johnson(4).
 
Win - W. Waltrip (6-5). Loss - A. Smith (3-9). Save - None. HBP - by W. Waltrip (A. Sandoval).