SAN ANTONIO — A sixth inning three-run home run from Skye Selinsky nearly pulled Columbia Baseball (4-8, 0-0 IVY) back into Wednesday night's game at Incarnate Word (9-5, 0-0 SLC) but the Lions would come up short falling 5-3 to the Cardinals at Sullivan Field, to wrap up a pair of back-to-back midweek games.
 
Selinsky's home run was his second of the season and first with runners on, and at the time it tied up the score between Columbia and Incarnate Word.  But timely hitting and a few too many errors from the Columbia defense allowed Incarnate Word to regain and maintain its lead over the final four innings, despite Columbia getting two scoreless innings from Brandon Madrigal and a scoreless from JD Ogden.
 
"We had a tough time tonight handling the baseball and Incarnate Word took full advantage," said head coach Brett Boretti.  "As an offense we have to start to make some better adjustments with two strikes.  We are striking out more than we should be.
 
"We are capable of putting more pressure on the defense with two strikes.  We have a lot of work to do."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Incarnate Word put up three runs over the first four innings, but Columbia's defense, which has been strong all season long, had its first off night of the season with only one of those opening three runs being earned.  The Lions got a solid starting three innings of work from Will Parkinson (0-1), who took the loss despite only giving up one earned run over his three innings pitched.
 
Incarnate Word, who held Columbia to just a pair of hits over the first five frames, held a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth inning, a testament to the Columbia pitching for working around a tough evening for the Columbia defense.
 
In the top of the sixth, Seth Dardar pinch hit for Jack Cooper, and he took a 2-2 pitch into left center for a one out single to get the Columbia bats going.  Cole Hage followed that up with a two out single to put two runners on with two outs, as Selinsky stepped up to the plate.
 
Facing a 1-1 count, Selinsky got a pitch he could handle and jumped it, taking Incarnate Word's Otto Stacey into left center for a game tying three-run home, scoring Dardar and Hage, and putting the score at 3-3.
 
But Incarnate Word would put a pair of runners on to open the bottom half of the sixth, knocking Justin Tucker out of the game and eventually scoring those two runners, who would both be unearned, to retake the lead at 5-3.  Having taken over for Tucker, Madrigal settled in giving up only one hit over two scoreless innings to give the Lions a chance over the final three innings.
 
Joining Madrigal with a solid work out of the pen was Ogden, who took the mound in the eighth, giving up only one hit in a scoreless frame.  But the Incarnate Word bullpen answered Columbia's pen pitch for pitch, holding the Lions hitless over the final three innings to preserve the 5-3 Incarnate Word victory.
 
GAME NOTES: Selinsky's home run was his first multi-RBI home run of his career … Joshua Solomon now has a three-game hitting streak … Hage extends his hitting streak to three games … Madrigal has gone three straight outings without giving up an earned run.
 
UP NEXT: Columbia will wrap up its long road trip with a final weekend series at Houston, starting on Friday, Mar. 18 and running until Sunday, Mar. 20.  The Lions will then return to New York City to open Robertson Field at Satow Stadium when they welcome Manhattan on Wednesday, Mar. 23.
 
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