SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — Cole Tabor launched a three-run, walk-off home run deep to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday, capping a furious late rally and lifting the Incarnate Word Cardinals to a stunning 13-11 victory over the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners in a nonconference baseball game at Roadrunner Field.

The Cardinals, who trailed 11-5 after the top of the fifth inning, scored eight unanswered runs to erase the deficit and snap a two-game skid, improving their season record to 14-14. The Roadrunners fell to 20-9 with the loss, which saw them surrender a six-run lead.

The most important part of the game was the bottom of the ninth inning, where Incarnate Word completed its comeback. Trailing 11-9, the Cardinals’ rally began with a leadoff walk to Ty Anderson. After a groundout advanced him to second, Trent Rucker delivered a clutch two-out single to right field, scoring Anderson and cutting the deficit to one run. Rucker then took second base on the throw home.

Following Rucker’s hit, Derek Newberry kept the inning alive with a single to shallow center field, moving Rucker to third. That set the stage for Tabor, the Cardinals’ shortstop, who drove the first pitch he saw from UTSA reliever DeBattista over the right-field wall for the game-winning homer. The three-run blast scored Rucker and Newberry ahead of him, setting off a celebration at home plate.

The game was a back-and-forth offensive affair from the start. UTSA built its early lead with a five-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run homer from designated hitter Andrew Stucky. The Roadrunners added five more in the fifth, with RBIs from Kaden Hallmark, Connor Ballin, Josh Sadler and Chase Detlefsen to make it 11-5.

Incarnate Word began chipping away immediately. Tony DeJesus, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the third, hit a two-run homer in the fifth. The Cardinals added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, the latter on a fielder’s choice from Jake Weaver, to close the gap to 11-9 and set the stage for the dramatic ninth.

Rucker finished 3 for 5 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored for Incarnate Word. Tabor went 2 for 4 with the decisive homer and three RBIs. DeJesus was 2 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs after his pinch-hit appearance.

For Texas-San Antonio, Lane Haworth was 3 for 5 with a solo home run in the sixth inning. Stucky’s early two-run shot provided the initial offense. UTSA pitchers issued 10 walks and hit two batters, with the bullpen unable to hold the large lead.

The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, which gave the Roadrunners a 79.90 percent probability to win and simulated a final score of 7-5 in their favor.

Incarnate Word used eight pitchers in the game, with Colin Huspen earning the win after a scoreless top of the ninth. Matthew Foley, Ryan Self and Blayne Lyne each contributed a scoreless inning of relief for their respective teams in the high-scoring contest.

Texas-San Antonio travels to face Rice for a three-game series starting Thursday. Incarnate Word opens a Southland Conference series at home against Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday.