In the finale of the four-game, Lone Star Conference series between West Texas A&M University and the University of the Incarnate Word baseball teams, UIW was able to prevent WT from splitting the series and got a historic 8-7 win at Sullivan Field.
In a game where Incarnate Word (19-16 overall, 14-9 LSC) surrendered a 7-1 lead and the visitors tied the game, 7-7, in the top of the 7th, UIW got some clutch pitching late to stop the bleeding, and some equally as clutch offense in the bottom of the 9th.
The Cardinals fell behind, 1-0, in the first inning, but tied things up in the 2nd and scored six more over the next three innings before West Texas started fighting back into the game – first with a 2-run 6th inning and then a 4-run seventh to even the score at 7-7.
Keith Vasquez had started the game on the mound for Incarnate Word, pitching five innings with just one run against, walking three and striking out three of the 20 batters he faced.
Once Vasquez was out of the game, WT started generating offense and knotted the score. Additionally, Paul Pulley took over on the mound for the Buffs and was very effective for three innings – striking out five Cardinals.
The eighth inning began with Will Gonzalez pitching for Incarnate Word after he had gotten the two outs needed to stop the WT momentum in the 7th. The Buffs led off with a double and the next batter was hit by a pitch, prompting a bullpen move by UIW and Scott Brunner taking over. Brunner finished the 8th inning without any more damage done, even getting West Texas to hit into an inning-ending double play.
But, as Incarnate Word went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 8th, West Texas was able to put the bats right back in their hands.
It was then that Ethan Lutz, who had seen action on Saturday, took the mound at the start of the 9th for UIW and pitched himself into a bases-loaded situation (WT sac-bunted a player from first base to second base, as well) before getting a strikeout and a groundout and not allowing any of the Buffs to score.
With three outs to get a run home, UIW took advantage of two fielding errors and loaded the bases with just one out – which earned the hook for WT's Pulley for Carlos Maese.
The first batter Maese faced was Jason Stone – who'd hit 2-for-3 up to that point and who had been hitting the ball very well all weekend.
Stone hit a single, scoring Jordan Littlefield, and the Cardinals won the game – taking 3-of-4 from West Texas over the weekend to help put UIW into the mix for first place in the Lone Star Conference and, perhaps even just as importantly, getting head coach Danny Heep his 500th career win at UIW.
Heep came to Incarnate Word in 1992 as an assistant coach before taking over as the head coach 15 seasons (including 2012) ago.
The Cardinals will be on the road against University of Houston-Victoria on Tuesday night for a doubleheader and remain on the buses for a LSC series against Texas A&M-Kingsville next weekend – including a doubleheader vs. TAMUK at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi on April 28th at 1 p.m.
The 2012 regular season wraps up at Sullivan Field on May 1st when the Cardinals play host to St. Mary's University.
