LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO – The University of Incarnate Word softball team finished up the New Mexico State Tournament on Saturday with a twin bill against UTEP and New Mexico State. The Cardinals (1-5, 0-0) fell to UTEP, 5-3 in the first game of the day and they lost, 13-3 to New Mexico State in the second game.
The first game of the day against UTEP (2-2, 0-0) was a big game for freshman
Darianne Hale (Mesquite/Bishop Lynch HS) who made the first collegiate start of her career. The Miners jumped out to an early led in the top of the first inning on an RBI single. However, the Cardinals would answer with a run of their own when Hale hit the first homerun of her career in the bottom of the second inning to tie the score at 1-1.
It was not until the top of the six inning until another run was scored when UTEP scored an unearned run on a throwing error to take a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the sixth inning, UIW would score two runs after a double by
Natali Duron (Pasadena/Memorial HS) scored
Monica Flores (Eagle Pass/Eagle Pass HS) followed by an RBI single from
Chandler Hoagland (Flower Mound/Flower Mound HS) that scored Duron to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately for UIW, the lead did not last long as UTEP scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to give the Miners a 5-3 advantage, which would end up being the final score.
Hale (0-1) was the losing pitcher of record. However, she pitched the entire game for the Cardinals for her first complete game of her career and she only allowed three earned runs on nine hits over seven innings of work. At the plate, the Cardinals totaled nine hits for the contest led by Hale who hit her first homerun of the season and collected an RBI. Duron also had an RBI to go along with one hit while Hoagland had the other RBI for UIW.
Brigitte Gauvin (Winnipeg, B.C./ College Louis-Riel) had a solid day at the plate going 2-for-2 to lead the team in hits.
The second game of the doubleheader was started by
Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) who gave up six runs in 2.1 innings of work, but only two of those runs were earned. The Cardinals struggled early on defensively and the team committed three errors in the game. New Mexico State (4-0, 0-0) scored in each of the first three innings and they jumped out to a 9-0 lead after three innings.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning as
Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) scored after Duron attempted to steal second base and Hale hit her second homerun of the day making the score, 9-2. UIW would add one more run in the top of the fifth inning after
Alex Alonzo (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) singled to center field scoring
Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS).
The Aggies would finish the scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning by scoring four more runs to make the final score, 13-3.
Hebert took the loss for the Cardinals and Ramirez led the team offensively going 2-for-2 from the leadoff spot. As a team, UIW collected six hits for the game and Hale was the only Cardinal with an RBI.
The Cardinals return to action on February 19 when the team takes on Lamar at 12:15 P.M. at the Lamar Classic.
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