MIAMI, FL. – The Incarnate Word softball team closed out this weekend's Panther Invitational in South Florida with a 1-0 win over tournament host Florida International University on Sunday morning in the championship game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Junior Ava Hernandez (3-0) held the Panthers to just three hits across the game's first three innings of play, striking out two batters on 31 total pitches.
• Incarnate Word was hitless through the opening three innings until junior Jaisy Caceres broke the stalemate with a solo home run to center field, putting IUW ahead 1-0 in the fourth inning.
• Florida International had runners in scoring position in both the fourth and fifth innings, but sophomore Jenny Robledo kept the Panthers off the scoreboard with two innings of scoreless relief.
• Senior Bella Mitchell tossed two nearly perfect innings of relief for Incarnate Word to secure the tournament title for the Cardinals and her second save of the season.

NOTES

• Hernandez is a perfect 3-0 in her first season as a Cardinal, posting a team-best 2.33 ERA across nine innings of work in the circle.
• The fourth inning long ball was Caceres' third of the season.
• Sophomores Prisais Quintero and Carmen Uribe each finished 1-for-2 at the plate for Incarnate Word.
• Florida International was 4-0 in the tournament before dropping Sunday's finale. Incarnate Word had a 3-2 overall record on the weekend.

UP NEXT
The Cardinals remain in the Lone Star State for another three-day tournament next weekend at the University of Texas. IUW's first game of the Longhorn Invitational is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, against Prairie View A&M University.