SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word softball team picked a good time to play well with No. 2 West Texas A&M coming to town.  The Cardinals swept a doubleheader from their Lone Star Conference rival, 3-0 and 4-3 at Cardinals Field on Friday. (Game 1, Game 2)

Seniors Briana Sanchez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) and Melanie Padilla (San Antonio/Marshall HS) played the starring roles for the Cardinals (27-15, 10-7).  Sanchez became the first pitcher all year to shut out the vaunted Lady Buffs (30-7, 12-6) offense and picked up two victories on the day.  Padilla smashed a walk-off game-winning homer in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game.

In the first game, the Cardinals got things going in the second inning when the first three batters singled to load the bases.  Kim Hanson (Devine/Devine HS) drove in the game's first run when she hit a deep sacrifice fly to center field driving in Monica Acuña (San Antonio/Holmes HS).  Hanson doubled things up in the fourth inning with another sacrifice fly to center field to give UIW a 2-0 lead.  Acuña extended the lead in the fifth inning when she drove in a run when she grounded out to second base. 

Sanchez picked up her fourteenth win of the season throwing a complete game shutout.  She gave up just two hits, struck out 10 and held the Buffs to no runs for the first time this season.  Hannah Newcomb got the loss for West Texas A&M giving up six hits, three runs and striking out one. 

The Lady Buffalos (30-6) got on the scoreboard early in game two when Allie Cranfill reached on an infield single, scoring Brittany Gehle, when the ball took a rough bounce in front of Padilla in the first inning. 

UIW answered quickly by grabbing two runs in the second inning.  With runners on first and second, Shelby Waltrip (Orangevale, CA/Casa Robles HS) blasted a ball to left field that came just inches short of a home run, but scored Courtney McCoy (Hutto/Hendrickson HS) who was on second.  One pitch later Taylor Johnson (Schertz/Clemons HS) reached on an infield single to score Hanson giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. 

The two teams would trade runs back and forth over the next few innings.  UIW starting pitcher Whitney Waltrip (Orangevale, CA/Casa Robles HS) pitched well going 5.0 innings allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out two in a no-decision.  Sanchez entered the game in the sixth and retired six of the seven batters she faced to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the seventh.  Padilla stepped to the plate with one out and she swung at the first pitch and watched it sail over the left field wall to give the Cardinals their second win of the day and clinch a series win over Lady Buffs. 

Sanchez picked up her second win of the day and finished with 12 strikeouts in 9.0 total innings for the afternoon.  Lauren Heinrich picked up her first loss of the season for the Lady Buffalos.  She went 6.1 innings giving up eight hits and three runs. 

The Cardinals and Lady Buff will return to action tomorrow at 12:00 PM at Cardinals Field to finish off the series.


####
pr13267smm