Sitting just outside a three-way tie for first place in the Lone Star Conference when play started on Saturday, the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team lost a game, 6-4, and won a game, 5-0, in a doubleheader against West Texas A&M University to help keep pace with at least one of the three teams sitting atop the LSC.
Game one of the doubleheader had to go an extra inning after some seventh inning heroics by the Cardinals, but West Texas was able to score twice in the top of the 8th with two outs for the 6-4 win.
UIW (18-16 overall, 13-9 LSC) trailed, 4-2 going into the final inning when Jason Stone lead off by hitting a single (his third in the game) and then advanced to second on an error. He stayed on second as two teammates flew out, but rounded third for a score when Derrick Walls hit a single into left field. Walls, meanwhile, scored from first when John Zule hit a triple to the wall and knotted the score at 4-4.
But, with Zule on third, UIW couldn't get the winning run home and WT scored twice on a double (one runner was on due to a single, the other after being hit by a pitch). Incarnate Word tried to answer in the bottom of the 8th, but even though Jordan Littlefield was able to single and then was advanced via a sacrifice bunt from Slade Brown, UIW struck out and grounded out to end the game.
Ethan Lutz took the loss for UIW, having taken over in the 6th inning for started Jorge Guarneros. He struck out three Buffs.
In game two, however, the Cardinals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to some efficient, small-ball tactics, and it would prove to be enough for the win – even though UIW added four more before the end of the contest.
Marc Gomez went all seven innings for a complete-game shutout victory, improving his record to 5-0 on the season. He struck out seven WT batters, walked only two and scattered just five hits-against over seven innings of work.
Walls went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, hitting singles all three times he reached base and benefitting from excellent sacrifice hitting from his teammates to score. Stone, meanwhile, was 2-for-2 with a run scored in game two, but was a combined 5-for-6 over both games.
Walls finished a combined 5-for-7. John Zule had an impressive 5 RBIs on 2-for-6 hitting, including a sac-fly.
The victory sets up a chance for the Cardinals to win the series on Sunday when the teams compete in the series finale at 1 p.m.
In addition, the win on Saturday gives Incarnate Word head coach Danny Heep 499 career wins with a chance to get the milestone 500th win tomorrow.
