SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team fell in twelve innings, 7-6, to visiting Northwestern State University this afternoon at Sullivan Field sponsored by H.E.B. With the win today, the Demons took the series 2-1.
The Cardinals are now 8-8 and 2-4 on the season, while the Demons improved to 9-7 and 3-3 in the conference.
Northwestern State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Cardinals in the bottom half scored a pair of runs to take the lead. It started when
Preston Newberry singled to shallow left and then moved to second off
Jake Weaver's single to center. UIW tied the game off
Colin Cymbalista's RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Newberry and send Weaver to third. Weaver later crossed home on Cris Enriquez's sacrifice fly to right center to make it 2-1.
The Demons tied the game in the top of the second off a pair of hits and a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher.
Weaver in the bottom half of the second put UIW in front with an RBI fielder's choice that scored
Thomas Lyssy to make it 3-2.
Trent Rucker took third on the play, while Newberry was out at second. With runners on the corners and one down, Rucker scored on Cymbalista's sacrifice bunt to make it 4-2 before the inning ended.
Following a scoreless third inning for both teams, NSU cut the lead to one when it dumped a two-out single into center to score its third run of the game.
NSU in the top of the eighth used a deep double to left and a pair of groundouts to tie the game at four.
With neither team able to score in the ninth, the Cardinals and Demons needed extra innings to close out the series.
Neither team was able to score in the 10
th, and in the bottom of the 11
th, the Cardinals got a leadoff hit from
Drake Anderson. He was then moved to second off
Ayden Alsobrooks' sacrifice bunt to third but was left stranded at second as the inning ended.
The Demons in the top of the 12
th broke through as the leadoff hitter reached on an error. Following a flyout to right center, NSU got its second runner on after being hit by a pitch and then cleared the bases with a three-run home run to go up 7-4.
UIW looked for a late-inning rally in the bottom of the 12
th, with one down, Weaver walked on six pitches. The Cardinals looked to avoid the double play ball, but the Demons were able to get Cymbalista to flyout for the second out. Down to their final out,
Tony DeJesus parked a two-run home run on the fourth pitch he saw over the left field wall to make it 7-6. Unfortunately, that would be all the Cardinals would get as a flyout to right center ended the game.
Starting pitcher
EJ Garcia scattered 11 hits over eight innings while allowing four runs (three earned) and striking out four. Reliever
Fawster Voytko took the loss (1-2) as he gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits in three and a third innings of work.
Weaver extended his hitting streak to seven games as he went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Newberry and Rucker each finished the day with two hits each and a pair of runs scored.
DeJesus tallied the team's only extra-base hit with a home run. He was 1-for-3 on the day with a run scored and two RBIs.
UIW is back home on Tuesday, March 10
th, when it hosts Tarleton State University at 2:05 p.m.
