SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team picked up a pair of much needed victories on Saturday afternoon against Lone Star Conference rival Eastern New Mexico.  The Cardinals won 10-1 in the opener and 3-2 in extra innings in the second game. (Game 1, Game 2)

In the first game, the Cardinals (24-15, 10-9) jumped on the Greyhounds early by taking a 4-0 lead after one inning thanks to a three-run homer by second baseman John Zule (San Antonio/Stevens HS).  UIW would add two more runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to build up a 10-1 advantage.

UIW starting pitcher Alexis Garza (McAllen/McAllen HS) pitched well going 6.0 innings to improve 5-0 on the season.  He scattered five hits and three walks while allowing one run.  He struck out five on the afternoon.

The Cardinals finished the game with 12 hits and had seven different players score a run.  Zule finished the game 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBI's while Derrick Walls (San Antonio/Reagan HS) and Lukas Miller (Boise, ID/Timberlake HS) each had two hits apiece.

Jaspreet Shergill took the loss for the Greyhounds to fall to 2-5 on the year.  He allowed five hits, six runs and four walks while striking out two in 3.0 innings.  Derek Crenshaw had two hits for the team.

In the second game it looked like the Cardinals were going to get another easy victory, but the Greyhounds quickly pulled starting pitcher Ryan Boydstun after he gave up two runs in the second inning and went to Ryan Pruitt.  Pruitt stymied the Cardinals for the next five innings and kept the game close.

UIW starting pitcher Dylan Boss (Boerne/Boerne HS) was effectively wild walking seven batters, but striking out eight in only six innings.  The Greyhounds scored their first run in the fourth inning when Boss picked off Matthew Spradlin at first base, but he stayed in the run down long enough to allow Josh Cunningham to score from third base.

The Greyhounds tied the game in the sixth inning.  Boss struck out the leadoff hitter, but then walked Derek Crenshaw.  Cunningham followed with a double down the left field line to bring in Crenshaw.

The Cardinals did not threaten to score in the fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh innings, but fortunately Geno Encina (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) was able to hold the Greyhounds scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings.  In the bottom of the eighth, Miller and Thomas Rinn (Cameron/Yoe HS) led off with back-to-back singles.  A sacrifice bunt by Zule put runners on second and third.  After an intentional walk to Adam Pena (Mission/Sharyland HS), Blake Woosley (Corvallis, OR/Corvallis HS) hit a fly ball to right field and it was deep enough to allow Miller to score the winning run.

Encina improved to 6-5 after walking one and striking out five in 2.0 innings of work.  Pruitt fell to 5-2 despite limiting the Cardinals to five hits and one run in 6.1 innings of relief work.  Cardinals Jordan Littlefield (Marion/Marion HS) and Jason Stone (Georgetown/Georgetown HS) were the only two players with more than one hit in the game.

The two teams will play the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Sullivan Field.
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