Box Score SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word Baseball team left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 5-3 loss to visiting LIU-Brooklyn on Friday night at Sullivan Field. It was the first home game of the year.
The majority of the scoring came in the first three innings of the game. The Blackbirds (1-4) scored three times in the top of the third inning. The first three batters of the inning reached bases and then they scored on a pair of ground outs and an RBI single by Evan Emerich. They added another run in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
"We have fallen behind early and then we have a hard time catching up because our offense isn't doing much yet," said UIW head coach Dan Heep. "But that is when you have to do the little things, you have to play defense, you have to pitch, you have to hustle and we didn't really do those things today."
The Cardinals (2-6) got three runs back in the bottom of the third inning. Blake Woosley (Corvallis, OR/Philomath HS) scored the first run on a wild pitch, but it was first baseman Ethan McGill's (Penn Valley, CA/Nevada Union) two-run double down the leftfield line that made it 4-3.
Neither team would score over the next five innings. Cole Hybner (Shiner/St. Paul HS) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief for the Cardinals, but it was senior Alex Shaffer who pitched extremely well. He picked up the final two outs of the fifth inning and then pitched a perfect sixth, seventh and eighth innings to keep it a one run game. He struck out three batters.
On the flip side, the Cardinals could not score off winning pitcher Brian Drapeau through the middle innings. In the seventh, UIW loaded the bases against Rafael Guerrero with three walks, but then Dustin Carlson came on to get the Blackbirds out of the jam
LIU-Brooklyn added another run in the ninth and UIW threatened to score again. They loaded the bases with two outs, but Carlson escaped when he induced a fly ball to right field to secure the save.
"We still have a problem with putting people in scoring position and moving runners," said Heep. "The hitting with runners in scoring position will come, but we have to do the little stuff."
The visitors had eight hits in the game. John McAllister went 3-for-5 with an RBI to lead the team. Drapeau went 6.0 innings with four strikeouts while allowing four hits, three runs and five walks. Carlson allowed two hits and a walk in 2.1 innings while striking out three.
The Cardinals finished the game with six hits and drew nine walks. McGill was 1-for-1 with two RBI's and four walks. Slade Brown (Keller/Keller HS) added two hits and scored a run. Geno Encina (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) lasted three innings and took the loss.
UIW and LIU are back in action on Saturday for a double header, with the first game starting at 1 p.m.
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