CONWAY, ARKANSAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team trailed Southland Conference rival University of Central Arkansas, 8-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Bears exploded for 13 runs in the next two innings to take game two of the series, 21-10 on Saturday at Bear Stadium.

The Cardinals (12-34, 5-18) kept pushing and scored four more runs in the ninth inning, but it was not enough.  Their scoring all started in the first inning when Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) gave them an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single to score Eddy Gonzalez (Laredo/United HS).  After exchanging the lead a few times, Gonzalez tied the game 5-5 on a two-run double in the top of the fourth.  Then, in the bottom of the fifth inning, Logan Preston hit a two-run homerun to give the Bears a 7-5 lead and a Brooks Balisterri single made it 8-5.

Trey Rodriguez (Corpus Christi/Carroll HS) hit an RBI single for the Cardinals in the top of the seventh inning to cut the lead down to 8-6.  He extended his hitting streak to nine games.  UCA put the game out of reach with a nine-run seventh inning.

Despite collecting 13 hits and 10 runs, UIW suffered their 18th conference loss while also committing five errors.  Austin Hoffman (Goodyear, AZ/Millennium HS) led the offense with his first four-hit game of the season and scored two runs. Rodriguez finished 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and a run scored, while Gonzalez also had two hits, drove in one and scored once.  Kahle finished 2-for-3 with two walks, a run scored and another driven in. 

Every Bear starter collected a hit except for one, and Preston led the way with four hits, two doubles, a homerun, a walk, four runs scored and six RBI's.  Chris Townsend finished with four hits and three runs scored. 

The winning pitcher was Connor McClain who tossed four innings in relief and only allowed one run on four hits while striking out four.  John Shull (San Antonio/Churchill HS) started for the Cardinals and was stuck with the loss after allowing seven runs in 5.0 innings.

Game three of the series is set for tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. 
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