Cardinals Sweep Jackets to Claim Crown (5/6/06)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

BILLINGS, MT – A lot of offense and a rare pitching performance combined to give University of the Incarnate Word a doubleheader baseball sweep of Montana State-Billings on Saturday.  UIW won the first game 10-2 and the second game 12-2.  The two wins clinched the 2006 Heartland Conference title for the Cardinals, sending them on to the NCAA Tournament.

After splitting Friday’s doubleheader at Cobb Field, the Cardinals wasted little time in delivering the knockout punch in both games on Saturday.  In the opener they scored five runs in the top of the first and were ahead 8-2 after the third inning.  That offensive punch was more than enough for starter Blake Weston, who spread six hits and two runs over five innings for the victory. 

The Cardinals were led at the plate by Chris Pacheco, who went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI.  Pacheco was three-quarters the way to hitting for the cycle after just the third inning.  He singled in the first, doubled in the second, and homered in the third.  Matt Seale, who was a one-man highlight reel defensively at shortstop, was 4-for-5 and also scored three runs and drove in an RBI.

The Jackets’ Ben Lewerke (Jr., Mason, IA) took the loss to fall to 1-4, giving up eight hits and seven runs in just an inning.  He was relieved by Chris Martin (Jr., Billings, MT), who allowed seven hits and three runs over six innings of work.  The Yellowjacket offense was paced by Kyle Pryor (Jr., Billings, MT), who was 2-for-4 with a run scored.  Luke Sansaver (Jr., Wolf Point, MT) went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

The second game was nearly a carbon copy of the first, right down to the winning pitcher.  The Cardinals used a five run second inning to build an 8-0 lead after three innings.  That was again enough for Weston, who was starting his second game in a row.  Weston scattered five hits and two runs over five innings to improve to 11-2 and accomplish the rare feat of winning two games in the same day.  Jerry Anderson closed out the final two innings without allowing a hit.

Dustin Walls and Jason Miori each drove in three RBI for the Cardinal offense.  Walls and Adrian Lozano scored three runs apiece.  Miori, Lozano, and Josh Hood each collected two hits to account for six of the team’s 11 hits in the game.

Yellowjacket senior David Ducharme (Hamilton, MT) took the loss, giving up 11 hits and 12 runs in six and a third.  It was Ducharme’s final collegiate game.  He has already completed his undergraduate degree and is working toward a masters.  Ducharme is the only senior on the Yellowjacket roster.  Jon Clark (Jr., Anaconda, MT) pitched the final two-thirds of an inning for MSUB without allowing a base runner.

The Jacket offense had five different players account for the five hits off Weston.  Matt Kakalecik (Fr., Great Falls, MT) hit his fourth double of the year and scored a run.  Craig Lundvall (So., Cody, WY) also scored for MSUB.  Josh Wiley (Jr., Belgrade, MT) and Doug Longfellow (Jr., Lewistown, MT) drove in a run apiece.

The Yellowjackets finish their inaugural season with a 15-35 overall record and a 13-27 mark in the Heartland Conference.  Incarnate Word improved to 26-19, 30-10.