SAN ANTONIO – Grant Smith went 6-for-8 with six RBIs and two runs scored as the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team claimed a doubleheader sweep of visiting HBU to start the four-game series on Friday afternoon at Sullivan Field, sponsored by H-E-B. 
 
UIW claimed game one, 9-4, in seven innings before taking the second game, 5-4. 
 
Jordan McFarland went 2-for-4 with two triples and scored both times in the first game. Lee Thomas crushed his 27th career home run to move into a tie for 3rd in the program record book in game two.  
 
The Cardinals collected 11 hits in their 9-4 win in game one, starting off with a three-spot on the board in the first inning. Wilson Ehrhardt led off with a walk and Smith reached on a fielder's choice as the shortstop played the ground ball but the flip was too late to beat Ehrhardt to second base. After a Thomas groundout, Ryan Flores roped a single down the left-field line to score Ehrhardt and Smith.  
 
McFarland continued the bottom of the first inning by reaching on an error by the second baseman and Ridge Rogers drove in another run with an RBI single under the glove of the HBU shortstop as UIW regained a 3-1 lead. 
 
HBU answered with a run in the second inning and two in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead before pitchers, Aaron Celestino and Michael Garza quieted the Huskies' hitting and the Cardinals found their offense.  
 
Smith tied the game at four with an RBI single to score Koerner in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Cardinals were not done, putting up four runs in the fifth. 
 
McFarland started off with his first triple of the game and a Rogers sac fly to center scored McFarland easily in the next at-bat. After Medina and Limas drew back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second, Koerner doubled to left field to score Medina and Smith followed with a two-RBI double that stretched the Cardinals' lead to 8-4. 
 
UIW padded the final run in the sixth inning as McFarland tripled and later scored on Medina's RBI single through the left side of the infield for the 9-4 win. 
 
The Cardinals continued the offensive power in game two, plating two runs in each of the first two innings. Smith and Thomas smoked back-to-back doubles to similar spots in the right field corner as Smith scored on Thomas' hit for the early 1-0 lead. Smith had another RBI single in the second inning to score Limas who singled earlier in the inning and UIW went up, 2-0. 
 
HBU crept back in the game with a run in the top of the third and another in the fourth to tie it at 2-2 before Smith gave the Cardinals a 4-2 edge in the bottom half of the fourth with a two-RBI shot to left field that scored Medina and Landen Etzel. Medina started the inning getting on from a hit by pitch and Etzel walked. 
 
Thomas added a big insurance run in the eighth inning with a two-out solo shot to straightaway center field, his seventh of the season, tying with Smith as the team leaders.
 
After HBU worked to load the bases in the top of the eighth inning, Garza came on to close out the game again, after appearing in the final two innings in game one, getting the final six outs and earning the save.  
 
ON DECK  
The Cardinals and Huskies continue the series with one game at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. UIW travels to Baylor on Tuesday, May 11.
 
FAN INVOLVEMENT  
Join Cardinals Club today! Email UIW Baseball Director of Operations, Maddy Jordan (majorda1@uiwtx.edu) for more information.  
 
FOLLOW ALONG   
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook.   
 
Follow the team on Twitter and on Instagram @UIWbaseball.