SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - The University of the Incarnate Word softball team grabbed two shutout victories over visiting Texas A&M-Kingsville Tuesday afternoon to move to third place in the Lone Star Conference standings.  The Cardinals won the first game, 6-0 and the second game, 2-0.

The Cardinals (29-16, 12-8 LSC) limited the Javelinas (12-31, 2-18) to just six hits combined to sweep their conference rivals at Cardinals Field.  In game one, Melanie Padilla (San Antonio/Marshall HS) cracked three hits, all of which drove in a run.  She had a double in the first inning, a home run in the third inning and a single in the fourth inning.

Padilla opened things up in the first inning when she doubled to center field scoring Ashley Freeman (Canyon Lake/Smithson Valley HS).  She doubled the lead in the third inning when she hit her fourth home run of the season.  Whitney Waltrip (Orangevale, CA/Case Robles HS) gave UIW a couple insurance runs in the fourth inning when she singled up the middle scoring Padilla and Ashley Freeman.

Freeman finished the game with two hits and two runs, including a triple.

Briana Sanchez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) picked up her 16th win of the season allowing four hits while striking out five.  Katrisha Arocha took the loss for the Javelinas going 3.1 innings and giving up four runs.

Whitney Waltrip took control of game two in the mound shutting out Kingsville and allowing only two hits and striking out four.  It was a pitching duel between Waltrip and Denise Arnold until the fifth inning when Freeman singled up the middle to score Victoria Silva (San Antonio/Brandeis HS).  The Cardinals added an insurance run when Alex Zepeda (Sinton/Sinton HS) scored on a Javelina error.

Taylor Johnson (Schertz/Clemens HS) and Monica Acuna (San Antonio/Holmes HS) each had two hits in the game for the Cardinals.

Waltrip improved to 12-7 on the season while Arnold fell to 6-16.  Arnold allowed seven hits, one earned run and two walks while striking out one.

UIW will return to action this weekend as they host Texas Woman's starting with a double header on Friday at 12:00 p.m and a single game Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
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