PORTALES, NEW MEXICO – The University of the Incarnate Word and Eastern New Mexico engaged in a record-setting slugfest on Saturday at Zia Field.  The Zias won, 16-14 in the highest combined scoring game in UIW history. (Box Score)

The Cardinals (18-12, 4-5) started the game well scoring six times in the first three innings.  They scored once in the first inning on an RBI single by Victoria Silva (San Antonio/Brandeis HS).  They tallied three times in the third inning taking advantage of a pair of Zia (10-25, 3-6) errors.  The lead swelled to 6-0 in the top of the third when they hit three consecutive doubles to start the inning.

The Zias responded in the bottom of the third inning with eight runs on nine hits and two UIW errors.  The first seven batters of the inning all hit safely on five singles and two doubles.

The Cardinals would tie the game in the top of the fourth inning on a two-out, two-run single by Mia Esposito (San Antonio/O'Connor HS).  Eastern quickly reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning.  Alberta Medina's one-out double gave the Zias a lead they would not relinquish.  They scored three times in the inning to make it 9-6 heading to the fifth inning.

The lead continued to swell over the next two innings as it looked like the Zias might run-rule the Cardinals, but the game went to the seventh with the score 16-9 in favor of the home team.

The Cardinals made it a game in the seventh inning.  The first three batters reached base and after one out, Silva cracked a grand slam.   Monica Acuna (San Antonio/Holmes HS) followed with another home run on the very next pitch to make it a two-run game.  Esposito kept the rally alive with a double and after the second out was recorded, Kim Hanson (Devine/Devine HS) walked to put the tying runner on base.  The Zias finally got out of the inning when they induced Taylor Johnson (Schertz/Clemens HS) to ground out to end the game.

The Cardinals finished the game with 16 hits.  Silva went 3-for-4 with five RBI's and a home run to lead the team.  Esposito finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and four runs batted in while Johnson went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.

The Zias pounded out 21 hits and had seven players with at least two hits in the contest. Elizabeth Velasquez was a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI's while Medina finished the game 4-for-5 with five runs batted in.  Kyra Sirag added a 3-for-4 performance that included four runs and two RBI's.

Briana Sanchez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) took the loss for the Cardinals to fall to 10-6 on the season.  Mary Jo Granger was credited with the win for the Zias to improve to 4-3 on the year.  Katie Ramsay recorded the final two outs to earn her first save.

The Cardinals are back in action on Tuesday with a home doubleheader against St. Mary's at 5 p.m.
####
pr13227smm