EDINBURG, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team was unable to hold onto a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning and they took a 4-3 loss on the road at UT Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals (7-21) managed only one hit and one walk through the first six innings against UTRGV starter Ryan Jackson only found themselves down 2-0.  In the top of the seventh, Eddy Gonzalez (Laredo/United HS) led off with a single and scored on a ground out by Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS).

UIW took the lead in the top of the eighth inning.  With two on and two out, Braden Martin (Andrews/Andrews HS) hit back-to-back RBI singles through the right side of the infield to take a 3-2 lead.  The Vaqueros (12-13) came back in the bottom half of the inning.  After the first two batters walked, Cardinal reliever Lance Moszkowicz (Spring/Klein Collins HS) got the next two batters out before Scott Mercer came through with a two-run single to put UTRGV back on top.

The Cardinals were unable to get a man on base in the ninth and dropped the non-conference game.  Three freshmen pitchers; Austin Preiss (La Vernia/La Vernia HS), Tyler Lesley (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) and Denson Hull (San Antonio/Churchill HS), put the Cardinals in position to win with a solid first seven innings on the mound.  They combined to allow just five hits and two unearned runs through the first seven frames.  Gonzalez had a big day at the plate collecting three of the team's six hits.

Jackson went 7.2 innings allowing five hits, three runs and one walk while striking out six in a no-decision.  Andrew Garcia pitched the final 1.1 innings and snatched the victory.  Mercer went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in while the rest of the team managed just three hits.  He was 5-for-9 with five RBI's in the two games against the Cardinals this year.  Neither team managed to have an extra-base hit in the contest.

The Cardinals are back home this weekend for a three-game set against Southland Conference rival Nicholls.
####
pr16245smm