SEGUIN, TEXAS – Senior third baseman Monica Acuna (San Antonio/Holmes HS) nearly led the University of the Incarnate Word softball team to a doubleheader sweep at Texas Lutheran, but the team settled for a split after winning the first game, 4-2 and losing the second game, 4-3. (Game 1, Game 2)

Acuna led the Cardinals (5-4) by going 4-for-6 at the plate with a double, two home runs and six RBI's on the afternoon.  In the opener, she cracked a two-run homer in the second inning, had an RBI single in the third inning and smacked a double in the fifth inning.  She had a chance to hit for the cycle in the seventh inning, but took a walk instead.

The Cardinals tallied 12 hits in the first game.  Alez Zepeda (Sinton/Sinton HS) went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Courtney McCoy (Hutto/Hendrickson HS) and Taylor Johnson (Schertz/Clemens HS) each went 2-for-3 with a run scored.  Briana Sanchez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) improved to 4-0 in the circle after striking out nine in a complete game victory.

The Bulldogs (1-1) managed five hits in the game.  Ashley Jacobsen went 2-for-3 with a run scored.  Megan Carmichael was handed the loss after allowing 12 hits and four runs in 6.2 innings of work.

In the second game, the Cardinals jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after scoring a run in the first, third and fourth innings.  Jacobsen led off the first and third innings with singles and ended up scoring.

The Cardinals did not get a runner on base against Katelyn Sanders until the fourth inning.  In the sixth inning, UIW had two runners on base and two outs when Acuna stepped to the plate and tied the game with a three-run homer.  The Cards looked like they might take the lead in the seventh inning when they had runners on first and third with two outs, but could not score.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Whitney Waltrip (Orangevale, CA/Casa Robles HS) retired the first two TLU batters when Jacobsen stepped to the plate.  She won the game on a walk-off home run on a 1-and-1 count.  Sanders picked up the win after allowing five hits and three walks while striking out one.  Waltrip pitched a complete game allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out three to take the loss.

The Cardinals are back in action next Friday at St. Edward's for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
####
pr13082smm