The Cardinals opened their conference season with a double-header against the Wildcats of Abilene Christian on Friday afternoon.  While the Cardinals were the first on the scoreboard in the first game, they didn't have the last word and fell to the Wildcats 5-2.

The Cardinals scored a run in both the first and fourth innings and off hits from right fielder Whitney Waltrip and second baseman Melanie Padilla.  The Cardinals were only able to get five hits off Wildcat pitcher Caitlyn Crain (6-0).  Crain allowed two earned runs while junior UIW pitcher Briana Sanchez allowed four.

Sanchez pitched all seven innings for the Cardinals and allowed eight hits and five runs.  It was errors that did the Cardinals in during game one. A couple of crucial errors for the Cardinals led to ACU runs that UIW wouldn't be able to recover from.

The second game of UIW's matchup with ACU started off well.  Waltrip allowed just one hit in the first inning and the Cardinal defense got the first three batters out.  The Cardinals kept the Wildcats scoreless through the sixth inning and were scoreless themselves until the third inning.

After UIW center fielder Taylor Johnson made it on base, right fielder Alex Yarbrough slammed one over the center field wall for a two run home run, putting the Cardinals on the scoreboard first.  Waltrip stepped into the batter's box next and was just shy of a homer herself, hitting the center field wall for a double.

The fourth inning was just as sucessful for the Cardinals as the third.  After a double from first baseman Kim Hanson and an effective bunt from very quick shortstop Ashley Freeman, the Cardinals earned themseles two more runs scored by second baseman Chelsea Muskopf and Johnson.

UIW would hold on to their lead for the remainder of the game for sweet revenge and a 4-1 win.

The Cardinals will take on the Wildcats for a third time tomorrow, March 3, at Cardinal Field at 12:00 p.m.

GAME ONE

Abilene Christian... 000 031 1 -  5  8  2

Incarnate Word...... 100 100 0 -  2  5  2

E - S. Vaughn; C. Crain; M. Acuna; S. O'Brien. LOB - ACU 8; UIW 6. 2B - K. Winkfield; S. Martinez; W. Waltrip(1); M. Acuna(1). HR - S. Vaughn. HBP - K. Briggs. SH - E. Gilliland; L. Padilla. SB - L. Smith; M. Henry(3).

Win - C. Crain (6-0). Loss - B. Sanchez (6-2). Save - None. WP - B. Sanchez. HBP - by B. Sanchez (K. Briggs).

GAME TWO

Abilene Christian... 000 001 0 -  1  7  2
Incarnate Word...... 002 200 X -  4  9  1

E - S. Vaughn; S. Martinez; T. Johnson. LOB - ACU 7; UIW 8. 2B - S. Vaughn; K. Briggs; W. Waltrip(3); C. Muskopf(1); K. Hanson(3). HR - A. Yarbrough(3). SH - M. Padilla. SF - M. Brigance. SB - M. Buckley; C. Flanary; A. Freeman(6). CS - K. Briggs.

Win - W. Waltrip (4-3). Loss - P. Mosley (4-3). Save - None. WP - W. Waltrip 2.