HOUSTON, Texas - The University of the Incarnate Word softball team earned a pair of victories on Tuesday. UIW downed Lafayette 2-1 in its first of five games in Houston this weekend and staged a seventh-inning comeback to defeat Penn State 5-4 in the afternoon, punctuated by a walk-off sacrifice fly by Dominique Guerra. The Cardinals improved to 8-0 this season.
 
UIW 2, Lafayette 1
 
Emma Follis got the start in the circle in game one for the Cardinals and did not disappoint. The freshman, who was making her first career start, sent the Leopards down in order in the top of the first inning.
 
Victoria Altamirano led off the bottom of the first with a home run to give the Cardinals an immediate 1-0 advantage. It was the senior's third long ball of the season and the team's fifth. Altamirano also took the squad lead with 10 RBI, breaking a tie with Jaisy Caceres. 
 
Sydney Zenon followed with a walk and moved to second on a ground ball. She came around to score later in the inning courtesy of a double by Erin Perez into the right-center field gap. UIW claimed a 2-0 lead after one.
 
Follis continued to cruise. She pitched a perfect second inning and erased a lead off walk in the third with a double play. Follis faced the minimum through three frames and did not give up her first hit until there were two outs in the fourth, a single that was eventually stranded. 
 
Lafayette picked up a run in the top of the fifth, but that was all the Leopards would get. Follis pitched into the sixth inning, ending her day with a strikeout before being replaced by Bella Mitchell. The senior retired five of the six batters she faced and secured her first save of the season, closing out a 2-1 victory to kick off UIW's weekend in Houston. Follis earned her second career win in as many appearances.
 
UIW 5, Penn State 4
 
The Nittany Lions took an early lead in UIW's second game of the day. Penn State plated two runs in the second and and two more in the third to claim a 4-0 advantage.
 
The Cardinals scratched one back in the bottom of the third. Ayla Gonzales walked to start the frame and found herself at second with two outs after a stolen base. She scored on a Bryanna Fuentes RBI single and closed the gap to 4-1. 
 
Neither team found the scoreboard over the next three innings, and the two squads managed just one hit apiece. Penn State went quietly in the top of the seventh, which set up UIW's rally.
 
Gonzalez led off with a single, which turned the lineup over. Altamirano then hit her second home run of the day and fourth of the season, this one to center field, to bring UIW within one at 4-3. After a Penn State pitching change, Zenon made it back-to-back long balls for the Cardinals with a solo shot over the left field fence and tied the score at 4-4. It was the junior's first home run in a UIW uniform.
 
The Cardinals kept the pressure on. The next batter, Caceres, doubled, which forced another Penn State pitching change. Fuentes followed with a single to center field. Caceres was held at third, which set up Guerra, who sent a fly ball to center field that was deep enough to score Caceres. 
 
Jenny Robledo earned the win in the circle for the Cardinals. The sophomore pitched the final three innings, allowing no runs and just one hit while striking out two. It was Robledo's second victory in two days. She was also credited with the win against BYU on Thursday.
 
UIW (8-0, 0-0) remains in Houston and returns to action on Saturday. The Cardinals take on Michigan at 9:30 a.m. before a Noon matchup against Pittsburgh.