SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of Incarnate Word softball team was unable to pick up their seventh Southland Conference victory on Saturday afternoon after they dropped the series finale to Stephen F. Austin, 5-0 at Cardinals Field.
           
The Cardinals (15-29, 6-15) could not figure out SFA starting pitcher Makayla Sikes who went 7.0 innings while only allowing four hits for the game. Sikes earned her sixth victory of the season and Jessica Rodriguez (Conroe/Oak Ridge HS) was charged with the loss for the Cardinals after starting the game and giving up three earned runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work.
           
Bridget Stein (Brenham/Brenham HS) replaced Rodriguez in the pitching circle and she went 3.2 innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits and Sarah Leal (Kyle/Hays HS) finished the final innings giving up just one hit.
           
The Ladyjacks (22-22, 10-10) put together two big innings for the game starting with the top of the third when they pushed across three runs when Annie Mehringer doubled down the left field line scoring Taylor Fraccastroro, followed by a two-run double to left field by Lindsay Campbell.
           
In the top of the seventh inning, the Ladyjacks added two more insurance runs making the final score 5-0.  Although the Cardinals were held to just four hits, they had chances to score in the ballgame, but were unable to come up with clutch hits leaving seven runners on base for the game.
           
Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS) and Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) each had a hit in the game for the Cardinals and Brigette Gauvin (Winnipeg, Manitoba/College Louis-Riel) had a pinch hit single.  Campbell led the Ladyjacks with two hits and two RBI's while Mehringer also had two hits and one RBI. 

The Cardinals return to action on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Prairie View A&M starting at 1:00 p.m. from Cardinals Field.
####
pr16290smm