SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team's pitching staff had a terrific day, allowing only two hits and one run from Southern Illinois Edwardsville to win the game 5-1 and set up a rubber match on Sunday.
 
Isaiah Zavala was perfect through the first four innings, striking out nine of the first 14 batters for a personal single-game high of 11 K's on the day through 5.1 innings pitched. Otto Stacey struck out four Cougars, while Steve Hayward closed the game, throwing strikes on all seven of his pitches.
 
Alec Carr launched the first homer of the year to left field in the top of the fourth to give UIW it's first run of the season and a 1-0 lead over SIUE.
 
The Cardinals' offense got to work in the fifth as Jimmy De Leon kicked off the four-run inning with a two-RBI homerun. Rey Mendoza led off with a single up the middle and then stole second before De Leon sent him home (2-0). Tony DeJesus, Sam Tormos, and Grant Randall each singled to load the bases before Carr was hit by a pitch to plate DeJesus (3-0). Hernan Yanez grounded out to second base as Tormos scored to end the inning with a 5-0 edge.
 
With the bases loaded in the sixth, Stacey was able to escape the jam by striking out two batters and only allowing one inherited runner to score, giving SIUE their only run of the game (5-1).
 
Hayward closed out the game for UIW throwing strikes on all his seven pitches to take the game, 5-1.   
 
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