Despite a stubborn storm cell sitting on top of Foster Field long enough to delay the start of the game from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team was ready to go up against Tarleton State late Sunday night at the 2012 Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship.
But, even though the Cardinals took an early lead and looked to be in control of the contest, one rough inning (combined with a few missed opportunities) saw UIW losing to the Texans, 3-2, just before 1 a.m.
Incarnate Word (23-20 overall) got a complete game out of starter Marc Gomez who struck out seven batters in eight innings of work – but with the Cardinals up 2-0 in the bottom of the 7th, Tarleton State was able to cash in on a one-out, bases loaded situation with a double that screamed down the left field line (missing the glove of a diving Hector Flores by mere inches) and to the wall and scored three runs to take the lead, 3-2.
This 3 RBI hit came after a 6th inning where UIW had a leadoff single in the top of the inning and the runner never got any further than that; where Gomez struck out the side, 1-2-3, in the bottom of the 6th; and immediately followed a top of the 7th where Incarnate Word went 1-2-3 with a ground-out and two fly-outs.
Incarnate Word also had trouble taking advantage of Tarleton mistakes in the top of the 5th, as Travis Fuquay started the inning out by out-hustling the throw from third base after the third baseman twice bobbled the grounder underneath him. But, Fuquay would be forced out at second base when Derrick Walls – who is practically automatic when it comes to dropping bunts – saw his bunt-attempt stop dead just a couple feet from home plate, making Fuquay easy prey for the TSU catcher.
Walls reached on a fielder's choice and then was picked off at first after several attempts by TSU's pitcher, Matt Buckmaster, who threw at first many times during the game at UIW base runners. After Walls was picked off, Flores struck out and the inning – which started out so promising for Incarnate Word – was over.
The loss gives UIW its first of the LSC tournament – which is a double-elimination championship field. Incarnate Word is one of four teams remaining (West Texas and Texas A&M-Kingsville have both been eliminated) and, as the loser of Sunday night's late game, will face Abilene Christian at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.
Both teams have one loss and the winner will have to play a second game immediately following the result with a 7 p.m. start time. The team that either ACU or Incarnate Word will face is the loser of the Noon game between Angelo State and Tarleton State (both of those teams being undefeated in the LSC championship until that game concludes).
This means UIW will have to beat Abilene Christian and then turn around and immediately face either Angelo State (the tournament's No. 1 seed) or Tarleton State (which has defeated UIW in 4-of-6 matchups this season).
If the Cardinals lose any games on Sunday, their season is over.
2012 Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship
Game 6
Tarleton State 3, Incarnate Word 2
(May 06, 2012 at San Angelo, Texas)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Incarnate Word...... 101 000 000 - 2 5 0 (23-20)
Tarleton State...... 000 000 30X - 3 7 2 (28-19)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Incarnate Word - Marc Gomez and Greg Barbaro. Tarleton State - Matt Buckmaster; Austin Coble(7); Britt Robertshaw(8) and Jonathan Schmitz.
Win-Austin Coble(3-2) Save-Britt Robertshaw(7) Loss-Marc Gomez(5-2) T-2:25 A-175
