SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of Incarnate Word softball team had two great pitching performances to sweep Prairie View A&M in Tuesday's doubleheader by the score of 10-2 and 11-0, respectively, to bring their home record to 8-7 for the season.
Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) made her sixth start of the season in the pitching circle and she pitched her best game of the season going the full 6.0 innings allowing just one earned run on five hits while also striking out two batters in the first game.
The Panthers were able to get on the board in the top of the first inning after Laurisa Hernandez singled to right field scoring Shelby Williams who reached on an error earlier in the inning. In the bottom of the first inning, the Cardinals scored two runs of their own after
Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) scored on a wild pitch and
Alex Alonzo (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) doubled to right center scoring
Lindsey Hood (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) to make the score 2-1.
Hebert's only hiccup came in the second when she allowed a leadoff homerun to Kylar Ward-Flowers that tied the game at 2-2. However, the Cardinals would put together two runs in the bottom of the second inning and three runs in the third to take a comfortable 7-2 lead. In the bottom of the fourth inning, UIW plated another run when
Mikaela Flores (Lockhart/Lockhart HS) doubled to right center scoring Ramirez. The Cardinals would run rule the Panthers in the bottom of the sixth inning after scoring two more runs to make the final score, 10-2.
The Cardinals had 14 hits for the game and only had one strikeout as a team. Ramirez led the team after going 4-for-4 with an RBI, three runs and three stolen bases. Flores went 2-for-4 with two RBI's and
Samantha Mendoza (Fresno, CA/ Washington Union HS) went 2-for-3 with two RBI's and a run scored. Williams led the Panthers with two of the team's five hits and Ward-Flowers hit the solo homerun. Ashley Higgins was charged with the loss after giving up four earned runs in 1.1 innings.
The story of second game of the doubleheader was the pitching of
Jessica Rodriguez (Conroe/Oak Ridge HS). She tossed a gem for the Cardinals as she only allowed three hits in five innings. The Cardinals took control of the game early by scoring six runs in the first two innings. In the bottom of the fourth inning, UIW was able to score five more runs aided by two errors from the Panthers in the inning and the Cardinals were able to run-rule Prairie View A&M for the second time.
In four innings, the Cardinals were able to compile 11 runs on 10 hits and they had no strikeouts.
Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS) drove in a pair of runs and Flores went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Katie Helm (New Braunfels/Canyon HS) went 1-for-2 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Rodriguez earned her third victory of the season and Sabrina Johnson was charged with the loss after allowing five runs and seven hits in 1.0 inning.
The Cardinals return to action on Friday with a three game series against Sam Houston State starting with a doubleheader on Friday at 3 p.m. at the Bearkat Softball Complex.
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