HOUSTON, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, but then gave up three unanswered runs to drop a Southland Conference game against Houston Baptist University, 3-1 on Friday at Husky Field.
The Cardinals (6-20, 1-6 SLC) jumped out ahead on an RBI single from
Ryan Gonzalez (Corpus Christi/Carroll HS) that drove in
Cory Duran (Lewisville/Lewisville HS) in the fifth inning.
The Huskies (13-13, 4-3 SLC) responded right away in the bottom of the inning with two runs on an RBI double from Blake Thomas and then a two-out single from Zane Otten that scored Thomas. With the 2-1 lead, HBU kept the Cardinals off the board, thanks in part to the pitching of Addison Russ. He went 7.1 innings and only allowed one run and one walk while striking out four.
The Cardinals threatened in the eighth and ninth innings, but came up short. After
Eddy Gonzalez (Laredo/United HS) led off the eighth inning with a single and later advanced to second on a wild pitch, Russ struck out the next hitter, but would then be subbed out for the Huskies closer, Dylan Zarosky.
Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) welcomed him into the game with a single to center that could have tied the game, but Gonzalez was thrown out at the plate to erase any threat at tying the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, HBU scored an insurance run to make it 3-1. The Cardinals made it interesting in the ninth with
Braden Martin (Andrews/Andrews HS) doubling to right center, Duran walking and then
Ryan Gonzalez walking to load the bases with two outs. With the tying run in scoring position and a chance to tie the game with a single,
Eddy Gonzalez hit a line drive up the middle that was caught by the shortstop for the win in game one of the three-game series.
Russ ended up with the win to move to 4-2 and Zarosky collected his seventh save of the season, while the Cardinals'
Bernie Martinez (Laredo/United HS) took the loss despite a great pitching performance. He pitched 6.2 innings of two-run baseball. He gave up five hits, two walks and struck out two. He left the game losing 2-1, but gave his team a chance to win.
Kahle finished the afternoon with three hits and Duran collected two hits and scored the Cardinals lone run. They outhit the Huskies 8-6, but also committed two errors compared to only one by HBU. For the home team, both Austin Saenz and Thomas finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Game two of the series is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start on Saturday at Husky Field.
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