Top seed in the upcoming Heartland Conference championship softball tournament is at stake on Saturday and Incarnate Word can be the one with a win and a win by Texas A&M International.
UIW and St. Edward's split a Friday doubleheader leaving the Hilltoppers on top of the league and Incarnate Word third. The Cardinals began the day in second behind SEU but dropped to third when St. Mary's moved ahead by sweeping Texas A&M International. If TAMUI can win over St. Mary's Saturday and UIW can win the game against SEU then the Cardinals are first because UIW owns the tie-breaker over the other three. If Incarnate Word loses the Cardinals can be no lower than third.
Game one found UIW plating a single tally in the bottom of the fourth when Kaylen laced a two-out single to center chasing home Melanie Padilla who had walked. The Cardinals then followed that with a threesome in the next inning. Opening the frame with back-to-back singles by Chelsea Muskopf and Serena Smitham and a base on balls to Alex Carraman, Monica Acuna doubled to right center clearing the bases. Michelle Luna then singled home Acuna.
Briana Sanchez worked all seven innings in the circle for her 21st win of the year against six losses. She had a lapse in the sixth inning when St. Edward's scored three times to make the UIW faithful nervous but she came back in the seventh with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a pop foul out down the left field line. In the game she allowed the three runs on four hits while walking three and whiffing 13.
In the nightcap UIW scored a single in the first when Carraman singled home Muskopf who had opened with a single. St. Edward's got four in the second on four hits including a leadoff home run by Stacy Giles. And that was enough as the Cardinals stranded 10 runners including seven when a strikeout ended the inning.