SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word softball team closed out their 2015 home schedule with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Prairie View A&M on Wednesday at Cardinals Field.

The Cardinals (12-36) received a pair of solid pitching performances from Mikaela Flores (Lockhart/Lockhart HS) and Sarah Leal (Kyle/Hays HS) who each picked up their first victories of the season in the circle.  In the first game, Flores gave up three runs in the first inning and then settled down allowing just one run for the remainder of the game.  She allowed six hits, three earned runs and five walks in a complete game win.  In the second game, Leal gave up a run in the first inning and then set down 14 of the next 15 batters to shut down the Panthers (9-25).

UIW used a big inning in each game to put the Panthers away.  In the first game, the Cardinals trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning.  They were able to bat around and scored six times to take control of the game.  They added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to add to their total. 

The Cardinals pounded out 15 hits in the game.  Taylor Johnson (Schertz/Clemens HS) and Alex Alonzo (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) each had three hits and three other players had two hits apiece.  Johnson scored three times, had a triple and stole two bases.  Monique Miller (Hewitt/Midway HS) added a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in two runs.

In the second game, the Cardinals led 3-1 after two innings and it looked like it was going to be a close game.  That all changed in the bottom of the fourth inning when UIW sent 14 batters to the plate, cracked 10 hits, including three doubles and scored a season high 10 runs.  Johnson had two singles in the inning and drove in three runs and Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) hit a pinch-hit, 3-run double.

UIW pounded out 15 hits in the game and had nine players contribute a base hit.  Johnson went 4-for-4 with a run scored, four RBI's and two stolen bases.  Miller had two more hits and drove in two runs while Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS) and Natali Duron (Pasadena/Memorial HS) each had two hits and scored two runs.  Leal allowed three hits, one run and one walk while striking out one in a complete game.

The Cardinals will close out the season this weekend at Southland Conference rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a three-game series starting on Friday at 3 p.m.
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