SAN ANTONIO – On opening day at Sullivan Field, sponsored by H-E-B, the University of the Incarnate Word baseball team defeated Villanova 12-7. 

Josh Salinas got the opening day start and went four innings before handing it off to Westin Walls. Walls would pitch an inning and a third before Adam Byrd saw some action on the bump. Hunter Hargett and Micah Berens would come on to close it out for the Cardinals.  

Rey Mendoza got the scoring started early with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to give UIW an early 2-0 lead. 

After Villanova tied it up at 2-2 in the second, Ryder Hernandez put the Cardinals ahead 3-2 in the third on a two-out double to right center.  

The Wildcats took their first lead in the top of the fourth, going up 4-3. In the home half of the inning UIW put up five runs to retake the lead. Rob Liddington Jr. got the scoring started with a two-run double to left center. Weldon Sherrell closed out the inning with an RBI single to extend the Cardinals lead to 8-4.  

In the fifth, Cameron Caley smashed a two-run homer to left center extending the Cardinals lead to 10-4. 

In the sixth the Wildcats would respond with two runs of their own, but in the seventh Dalton Beck sent a flyball over the left center wall to give UIW a commanding 12-6 lead. 

Villanova would score a run in the ninth, but the Cardinals came away with a 12-7 win to open the 2024 season.  

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--UIW CARDINALS--