SAN ANTONIO – A thrilling walk off double from
Bryce Shepherd gave the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team a 4-3 win in extra innings over Lafayette College, after falling short of another comeback 12-10 to Notre Dame on Saturday at Wolff Stadium.
GAME 1
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Cardinals (0-2) hit the ball well, but couldn't overcome the 12 runs from the Fighting Irish, despite scoring nine runs in the last three innings. After Notre Dame (1-2) took an early 1-0 lead with a homerun from Matt Vierling in the bottom of the first inning, the Cardinals tied it with an RBI single from
Kyle Bergeron. Bergeron hit a dribbler that hugged the third base line until it hit the bag for the RBI. But the Irish responded with six runs in the next two innings to take a 7-1 lead.
The Cardinals gave up five more runs in the sixth and seventh inning, but then got the bats going and put up five runs of their own.
The two runs in the seventh scored off a wild pitch.
Tanner White scored from third, and
Mark Whitehead came around to score from second base. Then in the 8
th, UIW strung three singles together from
Bryce Shepherd, White, and Whitehead. Then a
Ray Swyers groundout drove in another run, and
David Anaya followed with an RBI single on a slow roller to third base.
With a 12-6 lead in favor of the Fighting Irish,
Garret Cooper came in relief in the eighth inning and retired the side in order, for the first Cardinal 1-2-3 inning of the game. Then in the ninth, UIW made it interesting with four runs, but it wouldn't be enough.
Peter Solomon earned the win for Notre Dame and
John Shull took the loss.
LEADERS
The Cardinals outhit Notre Dame 17-16. Whitehead had three hits, two runs and two RBI from the leadoff spot, and Bergeron also had three hits, two runs and drove in one. Kyler Genebacher, Anaya, and
Tanner White each had two hits.
Shull pitched 5.0 innings, giving up 11 hits, six earned runs and struck out four.
For Notre Dame, the top three guys in the order combined for seven hits and nine RBI. Pre-season All-American Solomon went 6.0 innings, allowing six hits, one earned run and striking out nine.
GAME 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the tail end of the doubleheader, the Cardinals found themselves down most of the game, until the eighth inning. Lafayatte College took an early 2-0 lead on two sac flies in the third. Then in the sixth, a bases loaded walk gave the Leopards a 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals had many missed opportunities in the game, but they would make up for all of them in the eighth with three runs. The big blow came from pinch hitter, Genenbacher, who hit a bouncing ball over the first baseman to bring in two runs.
Sean Arnold then hit a ground out to second base to bring in the tying run from third base.
Lance Moskowicz then came in and threw three scoreless innings, giving UIW a chance to win it in extras.
Then in the bottom of the eleventh, Arnold led off the inning with a walk,
Ryan Gonzalez bunted him over to second, and
Bryce Shepherd came through with the walk off double down the third base line for the win.
LEADERS
Shepherd led the team with two hits and an RBI, while Genenbacher and
Eddy Gonzalez each added a hit.
UIW's starter
Bernie Martinez had a strong outing of 5.1 innings, five hits, one earned (three runs) and two strikeouts. The bullpen combined to pitch 5.2 scoreless innings from
Ramon Salazar,
Jesse Borden and Moszkowicz. Moszkowicz earned the win.
The loss went to LC's Connor Jones who tossed 3.0 innings and allowed the game winning run on just one hit. John Selsor led the offense with two hits and a run scored.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will now host Lafayette College for a rematch at Sullivan Field tomorrow at 11 a.m.
STAY TUNED
The Cardinals will go on the road to face Prairie View A&M on Tuesday at 2 p.m., and then they'll come back home for a four-game series against Central Michigan on the weekend.
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.
