Box Score SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Playing their final game of the Irish Spring Classic on Sunday, the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team rallied from an 8-3 deficit to defeat Gonzaga University, 11-8 on Trinity University's baseball field.

The Cardinals (2-5) trailed the Bulldogs (2-6), 5-0 and 8-3, but unlike previous games this weekend, they came through with clutch hit after clutch hit.  The first big hit of game was a two-out, three-run homer by Jesse Hoover (Marion/Marion HS) in the bottom of the third inning to cut into Gonzaga's 5-0 lead.

"We still struggled early in the game getting behind, but what we ended up doing was getting some hits with men and base and not swinging at bad pitches," said UIW head coach Dan Heep.

In the fifth inning, the Bulldogs put together a three-spot to push their lead to 8-3.  In the sixth inning, they tried to tack on a few more runs.  They had runners on first and second with one out when Heep went to his bullpen for Matthew Decker (Hickory Creek/Lake Dallas HS).  Decker quickly retired the next two GU batters to get out of the jam.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals erupted for their biggest inning of the year.  Hoover led off the inning with a double down the right field line and Slade Brown (Keller/Keller HS) followed with an infield single.  It looked like UIW would not score after the next two batters struck out, but then the Cardinals bats came alive.  A hit batter loaded the bases and Bryce Shepherd (Coldspring/Coldspring-Oakhurst HS) dropped a single into shallow centerfield to score a pair of runs.  A walk loaded the bases again and then Mark Whitehead (San Antonio/Johnson HS) followed with a single into left center to plate two more runs to make it 8-7, Zags.  Another walk loaded the bases and brought up Hoover for a second time and he was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run.  Brown followed with a three-run double to deep centerfield to cap off the rally.

"Everything is contagious, not hitting is contagious and hitting is contagious," said Heep.  "Momentum has a lot to do in baseball and I was proud of our guys, we got down 8-3 and came back."

Decker stayed in the game on the mound for UIW and held the Bulldogs scoreless in the final three innings to earn his first career win.  "We needed that," said Heep.  "Our middle relief hasn't been that good so far this year and we have to have someone that can come out of the bullpen and give us good innings."

The Cardinals finished the game with seven hits, drew six walks and were hit by three pitches.  Hoover went 2-for-3 with three runs, four RBI's, a double and a home run.  Brown was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI's.  Blake Woosley (Corvallis, OR/Philomath HS) did not get a hit, but reached base three times via walk or hit by pitch and scored twice.  Decker pitched 3.2 innings and struck out three while allowing just two hits and two walks.

The Bulldogs had 13 hits led by Mitch Gunsolus' 4-for-5 performance that included a double, two runs and an RBI.  Cory LeBrun cracked a three-run double in the game.  Derek Callahan took the loss after allowing six hits, nine runs and two walks in 5.2 innings.  He also struck out seven batters.

The Cardinals are back in action on Tuesday night at Baylor for a 6:35 start time.
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