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Incarnate Word thumps Zias

CMI staff

SAN ANTONIO — Designated player Lea Padilla homered in both games and Incarnate Word took a 10-0, 8-3 Lone Star Conference softball sweep over Eastern New Mexico University on Friday.

Briana Sanchez allowed one hit and struck out eight in the opener, called after 4 1/2 innings because of the 10-run rule. Seven of the runs for UIW (16-9, 4-4 LSC) were unearned because of three Zias errors.

The Cardinals broke on top in the opener with four runs in the second inning, then made it 9-0 in the third on a two-run homer by third baseman Monica Acuna and a two-out, bases-loaded triple by shortstop Ashley Freeman, who also tripled home the final run in the second. Padilla hit a one-out homer, her third of the season, in the fourth.

ENMU (6-20, 1-7) managed only a one-out single in the top of the first from second baseman Lizzy Velasquez. The Zias loaded the bases with one out in the second on an error, a walk and a hit batsman, but Sanchez worked out of it and retired 10 in a row before walking Melanie Alderette with two out in the fifth.

UIW sophomore Whitney Waltrip (6-5) needed 122 pitches to finish a six-hitter in the nightcap. Meantime, her catcher and twin sister, Shelby Waltrip, put the Cardinals on the board with a one-out homer in the second.

Incarnate went on to take a 5-0 lead in that inning off Zias freshman Amy Smith (3-9), who took the loss in both games. Mallory Henry hit a two-run triple and scored on Padilla’s two-out, two-run homer.

The Zias were held hitless until Smith delivered Alderette with a two-out RBI single to left in the fourth. They made it 5-2 in the fifth with an unearned run, but Padilla hit a two-run double to center in UIW’s three-run sixth.

Alderette’s single plated Ke VonSchriltz with one out in the seventh. Velasquez followed with a single, extending her hitting streak to seven games, but Whitney Waltrip got the final two outs to end it.

The teams finish their three-game series with an 11 a.m. (MDT) contest today.