SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Senior Whitney Waltrip (Orangevale, CA/Casa Robles HS) led the University of the Incarnate Word softball team to a season opening sweep of visiting Texas A&M-Kingsville on Wednesday at Cardinals Field. The Cardinals won the first game, 6-3 and the second game, 13-9.

Waltrip and the Cardinals (2-0) appeared to be headed for a loss in the first game of the doubleheader. The Javelinas (4-5) scratched across three unearned runs and Carlie Clark had a five-hit shutout going heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Clark retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Cardinals were not done. Alex Zepeda got the rally started for UIW with a base hit down the left field line and then Kellen Robles followed with a double to left field. Kristin Hebert worked the count to 2-2 and then smacked a single up the middle and went to second on the throw home to make it a 3-2 game. Alex Alonzo was intentionally walked and then Courtney McCoy walked on four pitches and Clark was pulled from the game.

The Javelinas brought in Ariel Kellogg to try to save the game. The first batter she faced was Waltrip who took a strike. On the second pitch of the at bat, Whitney lined a deep shot to center field that easily cleared the fence and sent the Cardinals and fans into a frenzy after pulling a win from a sure defeat.

Hebert picked up the win in the circle for UIW after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings of relief after taking over for Waltrip who started the game as the pitcher. She scattered five hits and walked one in 5.1 innings, but allowed three unearned runs. Clark took the loss after allowing eight hits, five runs and three walks while striking out five in 6.2 innings.

The second game was a slugfest that lasted three hours as temperatures plummeted throughout the contest. The Cardinals scored in five of six innings and the Javelinas in five of seven innings.

The Cardinals looked like they might blow the game open early. After allowing a run to A&M-Kingsville in the top of the first, they responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Brooke DuBois' two-run single was the big hit in the inning.

The Javelinas added single runs in the second and third innings to cut the lead to 4-3, but then the Cardinals got going again. The first five batters reached base in the bottom of the third inning via single or walk, but they never got the extra-base hit to clear the bases. However, they led 7-3 after the stanza.

The Javelinas came back with four runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game. Val Ramirez hit a bases-loaded double driving in all three runners and then scored on a passed ball to tie it up.

The Cardinals responded with an unearned run in the fourth and then scored four times in the fifth. Hebert and Mia Esposito each had RBI doubles in the frame to make it a 12-7 game.

The Javelinas closed to within 12-9 on a two-out, two run single by Jaeleen Castro in the sixth, but went down in order in the seventh inning.

Mikaela Flores picked up the win for the Cardinals after pitching the final 3.2 innings in relief. She allowed three hits, two runs and three walks while striking out six. The Cardinals finished with 13 hits in the game led by Waltrip perfect 3-for-3 performance that included two runs, two RBI's and a walk. Alex Alonzo was the only other player on the team with more than one hit.

The Javelinas had nine hits in the game. Ramirez was 2-for-4 with four RBI's, two doubles and two runs scored while Erica Graham went 3-for-4 with a double. Kellogg took the loss after allowing five hits, seven runs and three walks in 3.0 innings.

The Cardinals are back in action this weekend at the Cowtown Tournament in Fort Worth where they will play a total of five games on Friday and Saturday.

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