SAN ANTONIO – Down to the final out and with Shaughn Kelly standing on second base, Lee Thomas stepped in looking to be the University of the Incarnate Word hero for the second time this weekend as the Cardinals were down 4-3 in the fourth game of the series against Central Arkansas.
 
Thomas lifted a Tyler Cleveland pitch high into the Sunday afternoon sky, but not deep enough for Kolby Johnson to get under it for the final out as the Bears won game four and split the series at Sullivan Field, sponsored by H-E-B.
 
The senior designated hitter was on fire this weekend cracking into the top-10 program record book, sitting ninth in career games (178) and RBIs (140), eighth in doubles (43) and walks (94) and seventh in home runs (22) after hitting two on the weekend. Thomas went a combined 7-for-18 (.389) with eight RBIs, four runs scored and a team-leading third triple of the season.
 
UIW opened up scoring for the first time in the series with a two-run fifth inning with Grant Smith reaching on an error and advancing to third with a stolen base and a sac bunt by Zach Limas. Devon De Leon drove in Smith with an RBI double to left field and motored around to third on a single off the bat of Landon Etzel. Ridge Rogers' sac fly was deep enough to push De Leon across for the 2-0 lead after five innings played.
 
The Bears quickly answered in their next at-bats with a three spot. RJ Pearson started off with a leadoff double and later scored on a Cameron Emmet sac fly to left. AJ Mendolia continued the inning with a single that dropped in center field and Benny Ayala doubled to scored Mendolia and tie the game at two. The Bears went ahead after Isiah Zavala came in to relieve starter, Aaron Celestino. Johnson walked to put runners on first and second for Connor Flagg to bring in Ayala with an RBI single up the middle for the 3-2 lead.
 
UIW retied the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the seventh as Braxton Gerek hustled around the bases with a triple and scored on Etzel's sac bunt before the Bears jumped back out for the 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning when Ayala, Johnson and Ramon Vingochea strung together three singles for the go-ahead run.
 
ON DECK   
The Cardinals make the trip to SFA on April 1-3. 

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