SAN ANTONIO - HBU rallied to take a lead with three runs in the fourth, but Incarnate Word answered and shut the Huskies down the rest of the way in a 6-3 victory in the Southland Conference series opener Thursday night at Sullivan Field.
Senior catcher
Erik Voller went 4-for-4 with a double and a run, while junior leftfielder
Ryne Edmondson went 2-for-4 with a run for HBU (12-25, 5-11 SLC). Junior rightfielder
Brandon Bena went 0-for-4, ending his 16-game hitting streak and 20-game reaching safely streak.
Senior righthander
Zach Carter (3-6) took the loss, throwing 125 pitches and allowing six runs, five earned, on 13 hits with three strikeouts and a walk in 7.1 innings. Carter recorded his 200th career strikeout, becoming only the seventh pitcher in HBU history to reach the milestone.
Eddy Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a home run, while Ryan Flores went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, an RBI and two runs for UIW (24-13, 12-7). Sean Arnold went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run and Taylor Smith went 2-for-5 and drove in a run.
Luke Taggart (6-3) earned the win, shutting the Huskies out on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks over the final six innings. Starter John Shull allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in three innings.
Flores doubled and scored on Smith's RBI single in the bottom of the first to give the Cardinals an early lead.
Voller led off the fourth with a double, Edmondson followed with an bunt single and Clark squeezed home Voller with the tying run and reached on the fielder's choice. Sophomore designated hitter
Hayden Baker then reached on a bunt single and an error on the play allowed Edmondson to score. Junior centerfielder
Chase Talbot delivered a sacrifice fly to center to put HBU ahead, 3-1.
UIW answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, then Flores's solo homer in the fifth tied the game. Eddy Gonzalez put the Cardinals ahead with a solo shot in the sixth, then Ryan Gonzalez came through with a two-run doubled in the eighth to extend the lead to 6-3.
The series continues with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch Friday.
