Box Score HOUSTON, Texas – In a game that saw a combined total of 23 hits, the University of the Incarnate Word held on for an 8-6 conference road victory over Houston Christian University tonight. The Cardinals are 7-3 and 1-0 in the Southland, while the Huskies fall to 4-6 and 0-1.
With one down in the top of the first,
Cole Tabor walked on eight pitches, then a throwing error on a pickoff attempt allowed him to take third.
Jake Weaver, on his second pitch, was hit, which allowed him to take first with two outs. He then stole second to put both runners in scoring position.
Tony DeJesus's two-run single up the middle allowed both runners to make it 2-0.
Kevin Ramos kept the inning alive when he walked, which allowed DeJesus to move to second. Both runners later moved up 90 feet off a passed ball and then scored when
Drake Anderson singled up the middle to push the lead to 4-0 before the inning ended.
Houston Christian in the second was able to cut the lead to one when it pushed three runs across on four hits to make it 4-3.
In the top of the fourth, the Cardinals used the long ball twice when Ramos led off the frame with a home run, and then
Trent Rucker hit a two-run shot to make it 7-3.
UIW added a run in the fifth to push the lead to 8-3 when Anderson singled home DeJesus after he doubled to left center.
HCU plated a run in the sixth and one in the seventh to make it 8-5, but in the bottom of the ninth, HCU looked to rally as it pushed a run across to make it 8-6. The Huskies' rally ended on a lineout to center and runners on the corners as the Cardinals secured the win.
Reliever
Alejandro Vanegas picked up the win to improve to 1-1 on the year. He scattered two hits while allowing one run in three innings of work.
Fawster Voytko earned his second save of the season, throwing one inning and giving up a run on two hits.
Anderson, DeJesus, and
Trent Rucker each finished the night with two hits apiece. DeJesus was 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs.
Anderson led the team in RBIs with three, while going 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Rucker tallied a home run and went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
UIW is back in action tomorrow for game two of the series against Houston Christian, with first pitch starting at 2:05 p.m.
