HOUSTON, Texas – Three hitters tallied multiple hits as the University of the Incarnate Word dropped the second game of the series 18-7 to Houston Christian University this afternoon. The Cardinals are now 7-4 and 1-1 in the Southland, while the Huskies are 5-6 and 1-1 on the year.

Down 1-0 after two, the Cardinals got on board in the top of the third. With one out, Trent Rucker reached first on an infield single, then stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Rucker later scored off a wild pitch to tie the game, which allowed Preston Newberry to walk in and reach first. With still one out and Cole Tabor coming up, he connected for a 365-foot two-run home run to give UIW a 3-1 lead before the inning ended.

HCU cut the lead to one in its half of the inning when it plated a run on a hit to make it 3-2, but in the fourth, the Huskies tied the game at three on a sacrifice fly to right.

The Huskies in the bottom of the fifth pushed five runs across on four hits to go in front 8-3.

UIW in the sixth was able to cut the lead to one, and it started when Tony DeJesus singled up the middle with one down. Following a strikeout for the second out of the game, Drake Anderson was hit by the pitch to put runners on first and second. Both runners came around to score off of Thomas Lyssy's two-run double to right center to make it 8-5. Lyssy then scored when Rucker doubled to left field to make it 8-6, and he later scored when Newberry singled up the middle to trail 8-7 before the inning ended.

HCU in the sixth added five runs, then added three in the seventh, and one in the eighth to take a 17-8 lead and secure the victory.

UIW as a team tallied 12 hits, with three of them being doubles and a home run.

Tabor, Lyssy, and Rucker combined going 6-for13, with four runs scored, six RBIs, two doubles, and a home run.

DeJesus capped the day going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk.

UIW will close out the series tomorrow in the rubber game against the Huskies, with first pitch being set at 2:05 p.m.