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University of the Incarnate Word Athletics

ESPN+
Steve Slate
3
Central Arkansas UCA 8-13
5
Winner UIW UIW 13-8
Central Arkansas UCA
8-13
3
Final
5
UIW UIW
13-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Central Arkansas UCA 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 7 0
UIW UIW 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 X 5 9 3

W: Shull, John (2-2) L: Gray, Tyler (2-2) S: Allen, Cody (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Cardinals Take Series From Central Arkansas, 5-3

Eddy Gonzalez and Lee Thomas each drive in two

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Behind a four-run third that turned a 2-0 deficit to a 4-2 lead, the UIW baseball team held on, 5-3, to take the Southland Conference series two games to one over visiting Central Arkansas Sunday afternoon from Sullivan Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UCA (8-13 overall, 1-5 SLC) started the game with bases loaded and only one out, but UIW's (13-8, 4-2) John Shull got out of the inning unscathed with back-to-back strikeouts.

The Bears scored single runs in the top of the second and third on an RBI double by Brooks Balisteri and William Hancock's sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals answered in the bottom half of the third with four runs on four hits as eight men came up to bat. Ryan Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Mark Whitehead's single. Both runners advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch. Following Sean Arnold's walk to load the bases, Eddy Gonzalez found a hole in the left side to tie the game at 2-all. The very next batter, Lee Thomas, followed suit with a two-run knock to left-center for a 4-2 Cardinal lead. Kyler Genenbacher singled to right to place runners on the corners, but Bears' hurler Tyler Gray got an inning-ended double play to halt further damage.

The Bears got within one with an RBI triple by Rigo Aguilar, but UIW answered with a huge RBI single by Tanner White to put the hosts back up by two.

In the top of the ninth, Balisterri drew a lead-off walk, but the Cardinals converted a key double play on the next batter. Two walks and a Cardinal error loaded the bases full of Bears, but Cody Allen got a ground out for his first save of the season.

The last time the Cardinals opened league play with consecutive series victories, they went on to win the Heartland Conference Championship in 2010.

LEADERS

Genenbacher went 2-for-3 to lead the Cardinals at the plate, while Gonzalez and Lee had the big run-producing hits. Shull evened his record at 2-2 as he allowed five hits and two runs in 6.0 innings, with a pair of walks and five strikeouts.

Both Hunter Strong and Aguilar had two-hit games for the Bears. Starting on the mound for the first time this season, Gray threw seven innings with seven hits, four runs, four walks, and 11 strikeouts.

UP NEXT

UIW plays at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 21 at 6 p.m.

STAY TUNED

The Cardinals play a three-game Southland series at Lamar March 24-26 at 6 p.m., 2 p.m., and 1 p.m.

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.
 
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