Box Score ABILENE, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team scored nine times in the first two innings and cruised to an 11-3 win at Southland Conference rival Abilene Christian on Friday night at Crutcher Scott Field.

The Cardinals (7-15, 1-0) opened their inaugural season in the Southland with an emphatic win at fellow first-year SLC member ACU.  Geno Encina (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) gave UIW a strong 8.0 innings as the starting pitcher and the offense tied a season high with 11 runs.

Incarnate Word took the lead right from the start.  They scored three times in the first inning when Colton Besett smoked a two-out double that cleared the bases scoring three runs.  They exploded for six more runs in the second inning.  The Cardinals had eight consecutive batters reach base at one point in the inning and they could have scored more, but the Wildcats were able to turn a double play to end the inning.

Staked to a 9-0 lead, Encina went about his business in quality fashion.  He stranded four runners on base through the first four innings before the Wildcats (10-13, 0-1) finally broke through in the fifth inning.  Seth Spivey cracked a two-out, three-run homer to put the home team on the board.

Encina would shut down the Wildcats over the next three innings and then Alex Shaffer (Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) pitched a perfect ninth inning to secure the win.  Encina improved to 3-4 on the season allowing eight hits and two walks while striking out seven in 8.0 innings.

The Cardinals finished the game with 10 hits and drew six walks.  Jesse Hoover (Marion/Marion HS) went 3-for-4 with three RBI's and two runs while Besett led the team with four RBI's.  Mark Whitehead (San Antonio/Johnson HS) and Slade Brown (Keller/Keller HS) each had two hits and scored twice.  Brown extended his streak to 22 consecutive games reaching base safely.

The Wildcats finished with eight hits.  Aaron Draper and Tyler Eager each had two hits and scored a run.  Nate Cole took the loss after allowing nine runs in 2.0 innings.  The ACU bullpen allowed just three hits and no earned runs in 7.0 innings.

The two teams will meet on Saturday at 2 p.m.
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