CANYON, TEXAS – For the second day in a row, the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team could not overcome an early deficit at the Lone Star Conference Tournament.  The Cardinals dropped their first round game to Tarleton State, 4-1 and were knocked out of the tournament by Abilene Christian on Saturday, 6-3 at Wilder Park on the campus of West Texas A&M. (Box Score)

The Wildcats jumped on the Cardinals in the first two innings building up a 5-0 lead.  ACU took advantage of an error and a passed ball in the first inning to score two runs off UIW starting pitcher Dylan Boss (Boerne/Boerne HS).  In the bottom of the second inning the Wildcats pushed a run across on a squeeze bunt and then got a two-out RBI single from Tyler Eager and a bases loaded walk to Chuck Duarte to force in the fifth run of the game.

The Cardinals got on the board in the top of the third inning.  Jonathan Armijo led off with an infield single and Connor Snoga followed with a base hit to right field.  After a sacrifice bunt, Armijo scored on a ground out and then Jason Stone (Georgetown/Georgetown HS) drove in the second run with a double.

ACU answered with another run in the bottom of the third, but the Cardinals responded in the top of the fourth.  Jordan Littlefield (Marion/Marion HS) led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt by ACU.  He eventually came around to score on Armijo's ground out to make it 6-3.

Boss took the loss for the Cardinals after allowing seven hits, four earned runs and four walks while striking out two in 3.0 innings.  Freshman Geno Encina (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) kept UIW in the game by tossing 4.0 shutout innings of relief giving up just three hits while striking out six.

The Cardinals managed seven hits in the game.  Stone was the lone player with two hits, including a double.

The Wildcats received a strong pitching performance from Ty Taylor who went 8.1 innings allowing seven hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out seven en route to the win.  Carter Hahn retired the final two batters of the game to earn the save.

ACU pounded out 11 hits in the game as five different players had two hits apiece.  Duarte led the team with a pair of runs batted in while Travis Schuetze, Kyle Giusti and Ryan Luckie each scored twice.

The Cardinals season is now over.


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