SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of Incarnate Word softball team was unable to capitalize on a one run lead midway through Friday's series opener at Southland Conference rival Nicholls as the Cardinals fell to the Colonels, 11-3.
           
The game started out as a pitcher's duel in the first three innings as both teams struggled to get going offensively.  The Cardinals struck first in the top of the fourth inning after Alex Alonzo (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) started the inning with a leadoff walk followed by a single to left field by Kristen Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS). Two batters later, Natali Duron (Pasadena/Pasadena Memorial HS) hit a sacrifice fly that scored Alonzo, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage.
           
However, the lead was short lived as Nicholls responded with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning highlighted by a grand slam by Amanda Gianelloni. The Cardinals added two runs in the top of the sixth inning when Duron singled to left field to score Alonzo and Darrianne Hale (Mesquite, TX/Bishop Lynch HS) walked with the bases loaded to drive in Mikaela Flores (Lockhart/Lockhart HS) making the score 7-3, but the Cardinals could not get any more runs in the inning.
           
The Colonels finished the game by scoring four more runs in the sixth inning to run rule UIW, 11-3 in the series opener.
           
The Cardinals offense had seven hits for the game and they left six runners on base.  Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) and Bridget Gauvin (Winnipeg, Manitoba/College Louis-Riel) led the team with two hits each.  Duron had one hit and drove in two.
The Colonels had 13 hits as a team and Gianelloni, who had two hits and four RBI's to go along with the homerun, led them. Haley Stevenson also had a good game with two RBI's.

Sarah Leal (Kyle/Hays HS) made the start for UIW and she went 4.0 innings allowing six earned runs on eight hits.  Bridget Stein (Brenham/Brenham HS) replaced Leal and she finished the game giving up five earned runs on five hits while also walking four batters.

Hannah Haydel got the start for the Colonels in the pitching circle and she would get the victory after going 5.1 innings and giving up three earned runs on seven hits.
The series continues tomorrow with a doubleheader that will start at 12:00 p.m. at the Colonel Softball Complex.
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