Wasted opportunities, the bullpen and inconsistent offense resulted in a series loss for the Warhawks in San Antonio. 

ULM (5-6) played visitors in a weekend series against Incarnate Word (5-6). The Warhawks entered the game off a 14-1 home win versus Grambling State on Tuesday night. The Cardinals came in after losing two straight versus Texas State and UTSA. 

Friday night’s game, which only had 75 fans in attendance, was one to forget for the Warhawks. The bats started off hot with two runs in the first inning. Shawn Weatherbee scored on a groundout, and Zack Floyd scored an unearned run to make it 2-0. The Cardinals responded with a solo shot to right field to create a one-run game. 

Kade Dupont decided to provide some assurance by blasting a two-run homer to left-center. ULM had an opportunity to add on with the bases loaded, but a swinging strikeout put those hopes away. 

When it came time for the bullpen to hold the lead, they couldn’t perform. Incarnate Word produced an RBI-single in the fifth to narrow the lead to 4-2. In the sixth and seventh inning, two home runs to right-center and left field tied the game 4-4. Meanwhile, the hitting corps turned ice cold, and the Cardinal bullpen took care of business. 

Two scoreless innings later, the Warhawks played extra-inning baseball for the first time this season. For the next three innings, a loss for ULM seemed inevitable. The Cardinals created chances and put runners on base, while the Warhawks showed no fight. 

Finally, in the bottom of the 13th inning, a single hit up the middle sealed the win for Incarnate Word. 

A close loss in an extra inning game can destroy a team’s morale. That’s exactly what happened to the Warhawks.

On Saturday, the offense put on a show. Unfortunately for ULM, it was the Cardinal hitters who were producing.

The game started competitively, with the two teams trading blows. The Cardinals went up 1-0 before Cardell Thibodeaux singled to tie it. Both teams scored an RBI-double for a 2-2 ballgame. Incarnate Word took the lead with an RBI-single and loaded the bases. Jimmy DeLeon hit a bomb out of the ballpark in left field, and the Warhawks found themselves down 7-2.

The Warhawks tried to fight back, with Shawn Weatherbee scoring on a groundout and Kade Dupont producing a home run to make the score 8-4.

The Cardinals made it 10-4 with a two-run homer down the right-field line. They then exploded in the eighth with four runs off two RBI hits and two bases-loaded walks. 

The game was all but over, and Incarnate Word won the series in blowout fashion.