SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – A four-run seventh inning led the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team past visiting Southland Conference rival McNeese State University, 8-7 on Sunday afternoon at Sullivan Field.  It was the team's first win of the conference season.

The Cowboys (10-9, 3-3) took the lead on two occasions.  They scored twice in the first inning on an RBI double by Connor Crane and a run-scoring single from Joe Provenzano.  The Cardinals (5-14, 1-5) tied the game in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Cory Duran (Lewisville/Lewisville HS) and then they took the lead on a run-scoring ground out by Bryce Shepherd (Coldspring/Coldspring-Oakhurst HS).

McNeese State retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning.  They scored three times in the inning.  Crane tripled and scored the tying run and Lewis Guilbeau drove in the go-ahead run with a double.  UIW got one run back in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out single by Shepherd.  In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Cardinals took advantage of two errors to score four times, including three unearned runs.  They tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Christian Divelbiss (Yuba City, CA/Yuba City HS).  After a two-out walk to load the bases, the Cowboys committed two straight errors to allow three more runs to score.

The Cowboys scored a run in the eighth and added another one in the ninth.  MSU loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Lance Moszkowicz (Spring/Klein Collins HS) was able to strike out a batter and induce the final batter to ground out to third base.

Incarnate Word finished the game with nine hits and drew six walks.  Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) and Braden Martin (Andrews/Andrews HS) each went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Duran and Shepherd each drove in two runs.  Trevor Hardee (Alvord/Alvord HS) picked up the win after tossing 3.0 innings of relief.  He allowed one run and two walks without allowing a hit.  Moszkowicz notched his second save of the season.

The Cowboys pounded out 14 hits in the game, including four extra base hits.  Crane went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and a triple.  Ricky Ramirez, Provenzano, Guilbeau and Will Fox each had two hits.  Trent Fontenot was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs in 0.2 innings.
####
pr16203smm