ABILENE, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word softball team split a pair of games at Lone Star Conference rival Abilene Christian University on Friday night.  The Cardinals (10-7, 1-1) won the first game, 7-4 before losing the second game, 10-2 at Crutcher Scott Field. (Game 1, Game 2)

The Cardinals scored five unearned runs in the top of the first inning of the first game.  Alex Yarbrough (Boerne/Boerne HS) cracked a two-run double and Shelby Waltrip (Orangevale, CA/Case Robles HS) followed with a two-run homer to cap off the inning.

The Wildcats (14-9, 1-1) scored once in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Cardinals responded with two more runs in the fifth.  Kim Hanson (Devine/Devine HS) hit a one-out solo home run.  Yarbrough followed with a double and came around to score on Victoria Silva (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) RBI single.

The Wildcats scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Lyndi Smith capped off the rally with a two-run homer.

The Cardinals had 13 hits in the game.  Yarbrough and Waltrip each had three hits and drove in two runs.  Briana Sanchez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) improved to 6-1 on the season with a complete game victory in the pitching circle.  She allowed nine hits, one earned run and three walks while striking out 10 in 7.0 innings.

ACU was led by Smith who went 3-for-4 with two RBI's.  Caitlyn Crain took the loss after allowing 11 hits and two earned runs while striking out three in 4.1 innings.

In the second game, the Wildcats scored four times in the first inning and never trailed.  Smith had another big game for ACU going 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI's and a home run.  She also drove in the final run of the game that made it an 8-run rule win.

The Cardinals only managed four hits in the game off of Shelby Hall.  Zepeda led off for the team and reach base four times via three walks and a hit by pitch.  She scored twice in the game.  Whitney Waltrip (Orangevale, CA/Casa Robles HS) pitched 5.0 innings and took the loss for UIW.

The Wildcats had 13 hits in the game.  Keanna Winkfield and Cara Hoover each had three hits to lead the team.

The two teams will play the final game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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