SAN ANTONIO – Sophomore Isaiah Zavala recorded the first shutout of the season in a 5-0 game one win as the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team split the doubleheader against visiting Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, March 20 at Sullivan Field, sponsored by H-E-B. The Cardinals' ninth-inning rally in the nightcap fell short.

Zavala pitched a four-hitter, striking out six and not allowing a Lion runner to reach third base in the shutout. Taylor Darden and Zach Limas collected two hits each. 

Limas started scoring in game one with an RBI single to score Darden who singled earlier in the frame. 

The Cardinals (7-5, 4-3 SLC) tacked on four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lee Thomas drew a one-out walk and replaced by Drew Minter as pinch runner, Darden reached on an infield single, and Rogers reached on an error to load the bases for Limas to score Minter and Darden. Smith cleared the bases with a two-RBI single in the next at-bat to score Limas and Rogers for the 5-0 lead. 

The Cardinals' offense continued the momentum scoring in the first and second innings of game two. Flores ripped a two-out single down the left-field line and Thomas doubled to left to Flores. Smith again scored in the second inning with a lead-off walk and scored off a single from Jordan McFarland to get a quick 2-0 lead for the red and black. 

UIW had some two-out magic to put up two more runs in the fourth inning. After back-to-back ground outs to start the inning, McFarland drew a walk and Flores singled to right for his second hit of the game. Thomas again connected for a two-RBI double for the 4-0 lead. 

Southeastern Louisiana (12-7, 5-2 SLC) responded in its next turn at the plate, scoring two runs on a two-out, two-run home run off the bat of Jacob Burke. The Lions added another run in the top of the seventh, stringing three hits together, the third off the bat of Burke to score Eli Keller from third. Steve Hayward went out to the mound for the Cardinals, getting two strikeouts and a groundout to end the frame and preserve a 4-3 Cardinals' lead. 

SLU scored another run in the eighth and pulled out front in the top half of the ninth inning with three runs scored. Burke led off the innings with a walk and scored on a Preston Faulkner single. After a UIW pitching change the Lions loaded the bases with no outs on back-to-back walks. Nick Ray slapped an infield single to score Faulkner and Finke hit a sac fly to center field that scored Gaby Cruz from third to hold a 7-4 lead over UIW. 

Down to their final at-bats, the Cardinals' rally fell short. Rogers walked before Limas and Smith rattled off back-to-back RBI doubles to make it a 7-6 game, but a pop-up and a ground out ended the threat for Southeastern to sneak away with a win. 

ON DECK
The Cardinals and Lions close out the series with a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, March 21. 

UIW squares off with No. 12 Texas in Austin on Tuesday night, March 23 at 6:30 p.m.

FAN INVOLVEMENT 
Click HERE to support the UIW baseball program through Dollars for Dingers and Kash for K's. 

FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwathletics.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook. 

Follow the team on Twitter and on Instagram @UIWbaseball.