ABILENE, TEXAS – The University of Incarnate Word softball team could not overcome an early four run deficit on Saturday afternoon and were swept by Southland Conference rival Abilene Christian University.  The Cardinals (14-23, 5-10) lost the series finale, 7-4 at Poly Wells Field.
           
Much like the two games on Friday, the Wildcats (16-17, 10-5) jumped out to an early lead.  In the bottom of the first inning, Brianna Barnhill launched her second homerun of the series giving Abilene Christian a 3-0 lead. In the second inning, Demi McNulty drove in another run with an infield single to shortstop giving the Wildcats a 4-0 lead.

In the top of the third inning, the Cardinals scored their first run of the game after Alex Alonzo (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) singled to right center to drive in Monique Miller (Hewitt/Midway HS) to make the score 4-1.  Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS) cut into the lead late in the inning with an RBI single to right field that scored Alonzo and Darianne Hale (Mesquite/Bishop Lynch HS) to make it a 4-3 game.

However, the Wildcats responded with two runs in the fourth inning when Peyton Hedrick singled to shortstop scoring Cara Hoover and McNulty, who scored on an error, to make the score 6-3.  Abilene Christian added an insurance run in the fifth and the Cardinals would score the final run of the game in the seventh inning after Natali Duron (Pasadena/Pasadena Memorial HS) doubled down the left field line scoring Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) to make the final score, 7-4.

As a team, the Cardinals had nine hits and the team left eight runners on base for the game.  Ramirez, Alonzo, and Swenson each had two hits for the day and Swenson led the team with two RBI's.  Barnhill led the Wildcats with the big three run homer and Hedrick also had a good game going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) made the start and she only faced four batters giving up three hits and three earned runs.  Hale replaced Hebert in the pitching circle and she finished the game going 5.2 innings while giving up three earned runs on four hits. Hebert was charged with her fourth loss of the season and Hannah Null got the victory after pitching 4.1 innings of relief.

The Cardinals will return to action on Friday at 5 p.m. as they face Nicholls in a three game series.   
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