March 2, 2012

Final Stats

Texas A&M International University and Incarnate Word split a non-conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Jorge Haynes Field on the TAMIU campus. TAMIU won the opener 3-0 and UIW took the second game 8-1.

Game One

Manolo Mendoza (1-1) led the way to TAMIU’s (10-7) win with an outstanding seven-inning complete-game effort. He limited the Cardinals to two singles and was thrifty throughout the contest, throwing only 81 pitches.

Aided by an infield error, Incarnate Word (3-4) got two runners on base in the fifth inning but that threat ended when Zac Russell flew out to deep right field to Austin Voros. Mendoza then retired five straight batters before UIW’s Lucas Miller reached base on another infield error with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Travis Fuquay then singled to right field but the game ended when Miller was tagged out by Alex Salas on an ill-advised attempt to get to third base.

TAMIU scored a run apiece in the first and second innings without the benefit of a hit to build a 2-0 lead. The Dustdevils would stretch the lead to 3-0 when Hector González scored from third base when Matt Arruda reached on a throwing error to first by Cardinal pitcher Justin Kanan. Gonzalez was pitch running for Korey Gosselin, who led off the inning with a double to left field and Arruda was credited with a RBI since he would have scored even if he was thrown out at first.

Game Two

Incarnate Word out-hit TAMIU 14-7 and former Dustdevil Jorge Guarneros (1-2) earned his first win of the season in the second game. Travis Fuquay pushed the Cardinals to what would prove to be an insurmountable 3-1 lead when he hit a home run that barely cleared the right field fence in the top of the third inning.

Danny Alejandro (0-3) took the loss for the Dustdevils after allowing three runs on eight hits in a 3.1 inning outing.

TAMIU and UIW will conclude the series with a single game tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for noon.