BABSON PARK, Fla. (April 14, 2018) – After dropping the first two games of the series, the Webber International University baseball team attempted to make a late comeback push in the third and final game of the series against No. 5 Saint Thomas University, but in the end it would not be enough. On Saturday, the Warriors dropped the first game by a score of 11-4 and fell in game two 11-9.

The two losses, combined with Webber's 15-4 defeat to Saint Thomas on Friday, April 13, meant the Warriors were outscored 37-17 in total. The Warriors also surrendered a total of 53 hits on the weekend for an average of over 17 hits allowed per game while recording over 11 hits per game themselves.

In game two on Saturday, Webber trailed 9-2 entering the bottom of the sixth before putting up three unearned runs to cut the deficit to 9-5 as Manny Rodriguez singled in Cristian Rivera and then Chris Medina followed on the next at bat with a two-run double to right center bringing in Rodriguez and Robert Lyons.

The double by Medina would have tied the game had it not have been for four unearned runs given up by Warrior pitching in the top half of the sixth. Similarly in the final inning, Webber allowed two more runs in the top of the ninth, which in the end were the difference in the game as in the bottom half, Webber again would have tied it as Jesse Coleman singled to center to score Marcus Begg, who led the inning off with a triple, and then with two outs, Michel Dagenais hit a pinch hit three-run home run to right to make it 11-9.

Begg and Rodriguez both finished the game 3-for-5 while Rodriguez scored twice and Medina was 2-for-5 with two RBI's.

In game one, Quirino Esquivel had a hit in each of his first three at bats, and Rodriguez again had a multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-5 with an RBI.

In the fourth inning, Coleman hit the fourth home run of his senior campaign, and then in the ninth inning, pinch hitter Luis Esteban led off with a double to right and then scored on a hit to left center by Rodriguez.

Esteban's double was one of seven doubles on the day for Webber as Rodriguez and Esquivel each had a double in both games, and then in the series finale, Medina doubled twice.

Head Coach Brad Niethammer said, "I'm very disappointed in the way we showed up and played this weekend. Saint Thomas is a very good team but we didn't even give ourselves a chance by playing sloppy baseball." 

Webber, which is still receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches' poll, saw its record drop to 27-19 overall and slip to below .500 in The Sun Conference at 10-11 while Saint Thomas improved to 42-4 and 20-1 with what is now a season-long 16-game winning streak. Webber remains two games up in the win column for the fourth spot in the TSC standings with only one conference series to go on its schedule.

The series against Saint Thomas was the final home conference series the Warriors will host in 2018 as next up, Webber will host Florida National University for a nonconference game starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18.