HOUSTON, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word softball team lost a pair of low-scoring Southland Conference games on Friday at Houston Baptist University, 4-0 and 3-1.

In the first game, the Cardinals (3-25, 0-11) loaded the bases in the first and seventh innings and put runners on second and third in the third inning, but they were unable to score any runs against the Huskies' Laci Belovsky.  Belovsky tossed a shutout to improve to 5-7 on the season while allowing just four hits and three walks to go with seven strikeouts.

The Huskies (8-19, 2-9) pounded out 11 hits in the game.  Melissa Herman was the batting star for the squad with a solo home run, a double and two runs scored.  Overall, the team had five players with two hits apiece.  Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) tossed a complete game for UIW and took the loss.

In the second game, Brooke DuBois (Pearland/Pearland HS) took the pitching circle for UIW and helped herself out in the second inning when she cracked a solo home run.  She kept the Huskies off the board until the fifth inning.  HBU opened the inning with back-to-back bunt singles, but then DuBois struck out a batter and induced a fly out.  With two outs, she walked a batter and then Alyssa Burnett came through with a two-run single.  Libby Brown followed with an infield single that tacked on an insurance run.

The three runs proved to be all the Huskies needed to take the game.  Shannon O'Connor tossed a complete game to pick up the win and allowed just four hits and a walk while striking out three.  Shay Orsak and Victoria Granchelli each had two hits for the home team.

DuBois took the loss for the Cardinals.  She pitched a complete game allowing 11 hits, three runs and three walks while striking out two.

The teams will close out the series on Saturday with a final game at noon at Husky Field.
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