BEAUMONT, TEXAS – In the second day of the Lamar Classic, the University of Incarnate Word softball team was able to end their eight game losing streak after beating Alcorn State in the second game on Saturday's. In the first game of the day, the Cardinals were defeated 6-2 by Northern Colorado.
In the first game of the day against Northern Colorado, the Cardinals (2-8) once again struggled to produce offensively at the plate and the team only totaled three hits for the entire game while Northern Colorado put together 12 hits as a team. Northern Colorado opened the scoring in the top of the fourth inning when Erica Dick hit a solo homerun to center field to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
Northern Colorado would add three more runs in the fifth inning highlighted by a two RBI double by Madi Schmidt. In the seventh inning the Bears would add another run on an RBI single by Dick to give Northern Colorado a 6-0 lead. However, the Cardinals would score two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on a throwing error by the Bears which allowed
Marissa Ruiz (Portland/Gregory-Portland HS) and
Alexis Santos (Plano/Plano Senior HS) to score making the final score 6-2.
Jessica Rodriguez (Conroe/Oak Ridge HS) made the start in the pitching circle for the Cardinals and she allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings.
Sarah Leal (Kyle/Hays HS) would come on in relief for Rodriguez with two outs in the fifth inning and she would finish the game for UIW. Leal went 2.1 innings and gave up one earned run on five hits. Rodriguez was charged with the loss while Jayme Reddacliff picked up her second victory of the season for the Bears.
At the plate for the Cardinals,
Darianne Hale (Mesquite/Bishop Lynch HS) had two of the team's three hits and Rodriguez had the other hit.
Unlike the first game of the day, the Cardinals broke through offensively in the second game against Alcorn State and produced their best game of the season. The Cardinals jumped out to an early advantage in the bottom of the first inning thanks to an RBI single by
Brigitte Gauvin (Winnipeg, B.C./College Louis-Riel) to give UIW a 1-0 lead.
It did not take long for the Braves to answer as they scored four runs in the top of the second inning after Adriana Gutierrez had a two-run triple to left center field and Shelby Peavey had an RBI single. UIW responded in the fourth inning with three runs of their own after
Victoria Bratcher (Colleyville/Colleyville Heritage HS) hit a sacrifice fly to left field with the bases loaded and a throwing error allowed both
Samantha Mendoza (Fresno, CA/ Washington Union HS) and
Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS) to score tying the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the fifth inning the Cardinals would take the lead when
Mikaela Flores (Lockhart/Lockhart HS) hit an RBI double. UIW added two insurance runs in the sixth inning on an RBI triple from
Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) and Hebert would score later in the inning on an error giving the Cardinals a 7-4 win.
Hale started the second game for UIW and she earned the win after allowing nine hits and four runs in 4.1 innings. It is the first of her college career.
Bridget Stein (Brenham/Brenham HS) finished the game for the Cardinals going 2.2 innings and giving up two hits and no runs to earn a save.
At the plate the Cardinals had twelve hits as a team and they were led by
Kellen Robles (San Antonio/Smithson Valley), Swenson, Mendoza, and
Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall) who all had two hits each.
The Braves had 11 hits in the game with three coming from Catherine Gore. Jazmin Castillo pitched a complete game and took the loss.
The Cardinals continue the Lamar Classic with one more game tomorrow starting at 12:15 P.M. against Alcorn State.
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