THIBODAUX, La. – Pitchers Drew Minter and Isaiah Zavala were lights outs for the University of the Incarnate Word baseball as the duo paced the Cardinals in the doubleheader sweep of Nicholls on Saturday at Ray E. Didier Field.
After Kayden Cassidy turned in a 6 1/3 inning performance on Friday night, Minter turned in an equally impressive seven-inning, complete-game performance in game two. The senior left-hander held Nicholls to just four hits and collected four strikeouts in the, 6-1, win.
Zavala was just as impressive with an eight-inning performance as the Cardinals claimed the, 3-2 win in the nightcap.
Jordan McFarland led the Cardinals' offense in the first game, going 2-for-4 at the plate and driving in two RBIs. Zach Limas added two RBIs with a base-clearing double to cap a four-run fifth inning and give UIW the 6-1 lead.
UIW (16-24, 12-19 SLC) got out to another quick start with a run in the first inning with an RBI single off the bat of Ryan Flores to score Wilson Ehrhardt. The Cardinals got another run across in the third inning when McFarland drove in Ehrhardt with an RBI single of his own for the 2-0 lead.
Nicholls put a run on the board on a ground-rule double with runners on first and second to cut into the UIW lead until the Cardinals pushed ahead in the fifth inning.
Smith started the inning with a single followed by back-to-back RBI doubles by Lee Thomas and McFarland and Limas came to bat after a Ridge Rogers walk with the third RBI double of the inning to give UIW its 6-1 lead.
Game two was another close contest as the Cardinals held on after scoring their two runs in the second inning as Chance Medina's sacrifice fly scored Flores who started the inning with a single to right field and Trent Koerner drove in Rogers who walked earlier in the inning to go up, 2-0. Nicholls responded in the bottom half of the second with an RBI single by Austin Cain.
Rogers added an insurance run in the eighth inning with an RBI double to right field that scored Thomas from first for the 3-1 edge.
After the second inning, UIW starter Isaiah Zavala found his groove and retired nine of his next 11 batters with the other two earning walks in the fourth and sixth innings.
Zavala allowed just four hits and struck out eight to earn the win for the Cardinals' doubleheader sweep. After Nicholls got within one run with an RBI double in the ninth inning, Michael Garza came on and got three consecutive strikeouts to finish off the game.
ON DECK
The Cardinals and Colonels close out the four-game series on Sunday at 2 p.m.
FAN INVOLVEMENT
Join Cardinals Club today! Email UIW Baseball Director of Operations, Maddy Jordan (majorda1@uiwtx.edu) for more information.
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