SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – It was a great day for the University of Incarnate Word softball team as they were able to sweep Friday's Southland Conference doubleheader against visiting Houston Baptist University, 7-3 and 5-2 at Cardinals Field.
The Cardinals will have a chance to do something that they have rarely accomplished in the last few years and that is to sweep a three-game series. The twin-killing allowed the Cardinals to surpass their season win total from last year.
In the first game, the Cardinals (13-20, 4-7) were able to strike in the bottom of the first inning when
Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) singled up the middle scoring
Monique Miller (Hewitt/Midway HS), who reached on a walk and stole second base, making the score 1-0. The Cardinals would add three more runs in the bottom of the second inning after loading the bases with no outs.
Katie Helm (New Braunfels/Canyon HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score the first run and
Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) hit a high chopper back to the pitcher for an infield hit that scored the second run of the inning.
Mikaela Flores (Lockhart/Lockhart HS) finished the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Helm giving the Cardinals a 4-0 lead.
The Huskies (10-18, 2-9) scored one run in the top of the fourth inning on a failed pickoff attempt to first base that ended up in the outfield and allowed the runner on third base to score. They added another run in the top of the fifth inning on a solo shot by Demi Janak who led off the inning to cut the Cardinals lead to 4-2.
However, UIW would add three more insurance runs in the sixth inning after Flores doubled to left field scoring Miller and
Alex Alonzo (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) making the score 6-2. The Cardinals scored their final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Hebert making the score, 7-2. HBU added a run in the seventh, but it was not enough.
The Cardinals had eight hits in the ballgame and were led at the plate by Flores who went 1-for-3 with three RBI's and a run scored. Hebert went 1-for-3 with two RBI's. For the Huskies, Shay Orsak led the team with three hits and Janak added two hits including the homerun while Cecilia Bauer also had an RBI.
Sarah Leal (Kyle/Hays HS) picked up her fourth victory of the season after going 4.1 innings giving up two runs, one earned, on seven hits.
Bridget Stein (Brenham/Brenham HS) finished the game in the pitching circle as she went 2.2 innings only allowing one earned run on three hits. Laci Belovsky was charged with her 10
th loss of the season after going 6.0 innings giving up seven runs, five earned, on eight hits. Belovsky struggled with her command giving up four walks and she also hit four batters.
In the second game, each team was able to score one run in the first inning and the Huskies would take a 2-1 lead in the second inning. Cecilia Bauer doubled to lead off the inning, stole third and scored on an errant throw. The contest then turned into a pitcher's duel as both teams could not get anything going at the plate.
It would take until the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Cardinals were finally able to put together a late rally scoring four runs in the inning, highlighted by five straight singles.
Brigitte Gauvin (Winnipeg, Man./College Louis-Riel),
Christy Trevino (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) and
Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS) each had an RBI single in the inning pushing the Cardinals to the 5-2 victory.
Jessica Rodriguez (Conroe/Oak Ridge HS) made the start in the pitching circle and she went 2.0 innings giving up two earned runs on four hits. Stein replaced Rodriguez to start the third inning and she would finish the game for UIW going 5.0 innings allowing only five hits and no runs. Belovsky also started the second game and she would go 3.2 innings giving up one earned run on two hits. Shannon O'Connor would take over next for the Huskies and she went 2.1 innings and was charge with four earned runs on six hits. Stein was credited for her sixth win of the season while O'Connor took her seventh loss.
The Cardinals had eight hits in the second game and Flores was once again the star at the plate. She went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Janak picked up the only RBI of the game for HBU.
The series will conclude tomorrow at noon as UIW will go for the series sweep.
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