INCARNATE WORD 6, EMPORIA STATE 1
Kirk Jewasko was just named all-region while Alfredo Caballero recently was MVP in the Heartland Conference tournament and both pitched up to their billings Thursday as Incarnate Word defeated Emporia State in the first round of the NCAA D-II South Central regional tournament.
With the 6-1 win over number three seed Emporia State the number four Cardinals are in the winner’s bracket for the first time in three regional tries. Now UIW will meet number two seed Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. on Friday in Warrensburg, Mo. Earlier in the day ACU whipped St. Mary’s 10-2 to advance.
For those keeping score, because of the deluges pounding the northern and western parts of Missouri the game was pushed back from its original 7 p.m. start time and the first pitch came at 10:30 p.m. The last out was recorded at 12:53 a.m. far surpassing the 11:39 p.m. end time for UIW’s Heartland Conference tournament win over St. Edward’s a week ago.
The Cardinals win was number 41 for the year tying a school mark set in 2004 when Incarnate Word played in the South Central tournament for the first time in school history.
Jewasko is now 12-2 for the year. He worked seven complete innings allowing just the one run to the Hornets who came into the game ranked number 10 in the nation by ABCA/COLLEGIATE BASEBALL. He gave up five hits while walking six and striking out 13 of the 21 outs recorded during his time on the hill.
The stylish lefty was most effective when the game dictated he be at his best. Three times, in the fifth inning, the sixth and the sevent,h Jewasko stranded a total of six Emporia base runners by whiffing a batter for the third out in each of those frames.
“Kirk struggled at times,” UIW Coach Danny Heep said. “But he got people out when he had to. He spots his fast ball and he throws all three pitches in fast ball situations to keep the hitters off balance.”
Caballero came on for the final two innings and did what he has had done all year, close out the game. While it was not a save situation the senior righthander recorded five strikeouts with one hit and one walked batter.
“At times he (Caballero) is in his own little world,” Heep said. “His stuff is good enough that we are comfortable with him out there, we don’t worry about him.” The lone base on balls issued by Caballero was to the very first batter he faced in the eighth and it was on four pitches.
While the game needed to go the full nine innings technically it was settled in the top of the first. The first four UIW batters reached. Tyler Hicks sent the first pitch of the game to center field and Matt Flores followed with a four-pitch walk from Emporia ace Ben Graham (8-3). When Steven Vidaurri laid down a bunt Graham threw the ball past first base and Hicks scored from second. Matt Roohan then singled to center plating two more and it was 3-0 with nobody out.
Matt Roohan drove home four of the six UIW runs.
The Cardinals got another in the third when Roohan again singled to center for his third RBI of the game. In the sixth Jackson Woodruff launched a ball 345 feet to left center making it 5-0. In the ninth Roohan got his fourth RBI on yet another single, this one to left center.
ESU’s only run was in the sixth on a pair of leadoff singles, one a bunt, and a two-out wild pitch by Jewasko.
As for Abilene Christian, the Cardinals did not play the Wildcats this spring. The two met once a year ago with ACU winning 5-2 on the 2009 opening day. All-time ACU leads the series 27-13 including an 8-5 decision in the first round of the 2006 regional tournament.
UIW 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 -- 6 13 0
ESU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 -- 1 6 2
Jewasko, Caballero (8) and Qualls, Rodriguez (9). Graham and Albritton. WP—Jewasko (12-2). LP—Graham (8-3). HR—UIW, Woodruff (2).