LAKE CHARLES, La. – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team fell 8-6 in the bottom of the ninth in the rubber game of the series against McNeese State University on the road this afternoon in Southland Conference action. The Cardinals drop to 17-19 and 8-13 in the conference, while the Cowboys improved to 19-17 and 9-9.
Trailing 2-0 going into the top of the fourth,
Christian Enriquez singled and later moved to third on
Cole Tabor's double to left center.
Drake Anderson's sacrifice fly to right field allowed Enriquez to score and cut the lead to 2-1 before the inning closed.
McNeese in its half of the fourth got the run back on four hits and pushed the lead to 3-1, but left two runners on first and second as the inning ended on a strikeout.
Down two in the top of the fifth, Cardinal
Kevin Ramos lead-off with a single through the right side. Following a popout to first,
Preston Newberry dumped a single into shallow center field to put runners on first and second.
Tony DeJesus got in on the action to load the bases when he singled to left. Still with one down, Enriquez drove in both Ramos and Newberry when he singled to left to tie the game at three. With runners on first and second,
Colin Cymbalista belted his seventh home run of the season to put UIW in front 6-3 before the inning ended.
The Cardinals' pitching posted three scoreless innings headed into the bottom of the eighth when McNeese used a two-run home run to cut the lead to, 6-5.
Headed to the bottom of the ninth, leading by one, closer
Chase Blease came into close it out. He was able to get the first hitter to fly out to center on one pitch. The second hitter singled up the middle to put the tying run on. Now with a man on first, the Cardinals looked to end the game on a double play, but the next batter reached first after being hit by a pitch. McNeese's fourth hitter in the frame connected for a three-run home run on the first pitch he saw to walk it off for the Cowboys as they took the contest 8-6 and the series 2-1.
Starting pitcher
Fawster Voytko allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits over seven and a third innings, while striking out five to earn a no-decision. Reliever Blease took the loss on the mound as he dropped to 2-2 on the season. He allowed three runs on two hits in a third of an inning.
Newberry at the plate finished the game going 3-for-5 with a run scored, while Enriquez was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Cymbalista tallied three RBIs and a home run, while Tabor recorded a double.
UIW is back on the road on Wednesday, April 15, when it travels to Lubbock, Texas, to face Texas Tech University at 6:30 p.m.
