MONTGOMERY, Ala. (May 15, 2018) – The second-seeded Webber International University baseball team kept its 2018 season alive with a 7-4 win over fifth-seeded Louisiana State University Alexandria in the first elimination game of the Montgomery Bracket followed by an 8-1 win over fourth-seeded Talladega College in the final game of day two during the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.

The two wins on Tuesday for Webber (37-23) featured back-to-back complete games by junior starting pitchers Zak Spivy (7-7) and Tanner White (6-1). In game one, Spivy went the distance for his seventh complete game of the season while striking out six and throwing 138 total pitches. In the second game, White pitched his second complete game of the season and allowed only one run on seven hits, seven strikeouts and zero walks on 122 pitches.

The first game of the day against LSU Alexandria (32-27) was a back-and-forth affair early on until the Warriors took control in the later innings.


Webber's Mark Martinez prevents a run with this tag at home against LSU Alexandria.

Spivy looked to be getting stronger as the game wore on. Despite allowing five hits in the first two innings and seven hits through four, Spivy settled down and induced four double plays, including a great throw by Manny Rodriguez after a fly out to right field to gun down an LSU Alexandria runner at the plate in the bottom of the second inning.

The difference in the game offensively came in the form of a three-run top of the fifth inning by Webber to answer a two-run homer by LSU Alexandria in the previous half inning.

It all started with a leadoff single through the right side by Cristian Rivera, his first hit of the opening round, a walk by Mark Martinez and a bunt single by Rodriguez to load the bases. Then, with one out, Marcus Begg smacked a first-pitch single down the left field line to score Rivera and Martinez, and then Rodriguez came around on a fielder's choice by Jesse Coleman to make it 5-3 Warriors.


Marcus Begg gets Webber on the board in the sixth inning against Talladega.

In all, Webber's No. 3 (Begg) and No. 4 (Coleman) hitters accounted for all seven of the Warriors' RBI's in the game as Begg added a sacrifice fly to deep right field in the first inning and hit a two-run moon shot to left field in the ninth inning to finish with five RBI's. Coleman added a home run of his own over the right field wall in the fourth inning, his sixth homer as a senior, giving the Warriors a 2-1 lead at the time.

In addition to Begg's effort, Rodriguez and Quirino Esquivel both added two hits while Rodriguez also scored twice.

In the nightcap against Talladega (28-24), the Warriors batted around and scored six times in the bottom of the sixth inning as catcher Napo Ballestero led things off with a double down the left field line, the first hit of the game to that point for Webber.

Rodriguez followed with a walk, and then Chris Medina came through with an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Then, with one out, Begg continued his blistering start to the National Championship with a strong single to left field to tie the game at one run apiece.

With one out and the bases still loaded in the sixth, Esquivel smacked a bases clearing, three-RBI double down the left field line to make it 4-1 Warriors.


Quirino Esquivel rocks a three-RBI double against Talladega.

Webber proceeded to add two more runs in the inning on a two-out RBI by Langston Provitt scoring Esquivel and a ground rule double to center field by Rivera to bring in Provitt; and then in the seventh inning, Medina and Begg hit back-to-back jacks both to left field to make it 8-1.

At the plate, Medina and Begg both finished with two hits and two runs scored.

Head Coach Brad Niethammer said, "The two complete games were just what we needed on the day to save the bullpen, and the bats finally woke up during game two to help us advance and live to play another day."

Through three games and two days in the Montgomery bracket, Begg leads all players in the tournament with 10 RBI's and three home runs, going yard once in each game so far, while Medina leads the tournament with five runs scored.

The Warriors are now only one win away from a spot in the Montgomery Bracket Championship game. Webber will have to win a rematch against third-seeded Indiana Tech (43-20) at 11 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, May 16, and a win would propel Webber into a matchup against the bracket's top seed and No. 1 nationally ranked Faulkner University (52-7) at 2:30 p.m. Central Time also on Wednesday. The if-necessary winner-take-all game would be played at 2 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, May 17.

Indiana Tech defeated Webber 10-5 in extra innings in the first meeting between the two teams in the second game of the bracket on Monday, scoring six runs in the top of the 10th inning.