SAN ANTONIO – Incarnate Word's Matt Morris delivered a two-out, two run double as the Cardinals clipped HBU, 3-2, in Southland Conference baseball Saturday afternoon at Sullivan Field.
Junior second baseman
Greg Espinosa went 3-for-3 with an RBI, while junior leftfielder
Brandon Morones scored both runs. Freshman designated hitter
Zac Garcia added an RBI single for the Huskies (14-12, 5-3 SLC).
Morris went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and drove in all three runs for the Cardinals (10-15, 2-6). Trey Rodriguez went 3-for-4.
Junior lefthander
Matthew McCollough did not factor into the decision, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in seven and one-third innings for HBU. Senior righthander
Chris Garza (1-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in one and one-third innings.
UIW starter Garret Cooper also did not factor into the decision, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and five walks in eight innings. Trevor Hardee (2-0) picked up the win, allowing one hit in the ninth.
The Cardinals struck in the bottom of the first as Braden Martin led off with a walk and scored on a double to the gap in rightcenter. The Huskies answered in the top of the second when Morones and junior first baseman
Andrew Alvarez drew back-to-back leadoff walks. Espinosa moved them up with a sacrifice bunt, then Garcia drove in the tying run with a single to leftcenter.
HBU took the lead in the fourth as Morones again drew a leadoff walk, Alvarez laid down a sac bunt and Espinosa smacked an RBI single to right.
The Huskies maintained the 2-1 lead for the next four innings, but Brance Kahle led off with a single to left and was lifted for pinch runner Aaron Warren. After Colton Besett struck out, Rodriguez singled to left and Blake Woosley came into run for him. Braden Martin lined out to center for the second out, but Morris slapped a hard grounder just inside the first base bag and both runner came around to score.
The series concludes with a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday. The audio broadcast can be heard on HBUHuskies.com, beginning with the pregame show at 12:45.
