SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of Incarnate Word softball team finished off the 2016 season on a high note after splitting Saturday's doubleheader with Texas A&M Corpus-Christi (18-30, 7-19).  They dropped the first game, 3-1 and won the final game, 6-2 on Senior Day at Cardinals Field.
           
The first game of the day was a pitcher's duel and Jessica Rodriguez (Conroe/Oak Ridge HS) pitched very well for the Cardinals (18-34, 7-20) but an error in the third inning was the difference in the close game.  The error allowed two unearned runs to score giving the Islanders a 2-0 lead.
           
In the top of the sixth inning, the Islanders added another run and the Cardinals would get on the board in the bottom of the inning after an RBI single from Kristin Hebert (Humble/Atascocita HS) that scored Shelbi Swenson (Elgin/Elgin HS) to make the final score 3-1.
           
Rodriguez went the full distance and she only allowed one earned run on six hits while also striking out three batters.  Stephanie Flores also went the full distance for the Islanders and she gave up one earned run on six hits and earned her second victory of the season.
           
The Cardinals had six hits as a team as Natali Duron (Pasadena/Pasadena Memorial HS) went 1-for-4 and Swenson went 1-for-2 with a run scored.  Hebert had the team's only RBI and Katie Helm (New Braunfels/Canyon HS) had two walks for the game.  Mackinzee Griebel led the Islanders at the plate as she went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
           
The second game of the day was a great ending to the season for UIW.  Sarah Leal (Kyle/Hays HS) made the start for the Cardinals and she was terrific going 7.0 innings and only giving up one earned run on seven hits.
           
Texas A&M Corpus-Christi started the scoring in the top of the first inning as Jessica Mendez scored on a throwing error by the Cardinals to make the score 1-0. UIW tied the game in the bottom of the third inning after Lindsey Hood (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) singled through the left side scoring Helm. The Cardinals added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after Darrianne Hale (Mesquite/Bishop Lynch HS) doubled down the right field line scoring two runs.
           
After the Islanders scored one run in the top of the sixth inning, UIW would plate three insurance runs highlighted by a two-run single to left field by Danielle Ramirez (San Antonio/Marshall HS) to make the final score 6-2 and give the Cardinals a victory in their final game of the season.

Ramirez and Hale each drove in two runs to lead the team and Hood went 2-for-4 with an RBI in her final game as a Cardinal.  Helm also had a great day to end her career going 2-for-2 with three runs scored while Samantha Mendoza (Fresno, CA/ Washington Union) went 1-1 with an RBI.
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