AVE MARIA, Fla. (February 6, 2019) – The Webber International University baseball team played its fifth consecutive nonconference game against a fellow Sun Conference opponent to open up its 2019 campaign before conference play kicks off. On Wednesday, February 6, the Warriors traveled south to Ave Maria University and fell 7-6 in a closely contested game.

Webber looked to be up to its winning ways with a three-run top of the third inning featuring an RBI-single to left by Willie Carter scoring Garrett Martin and a two-run hit to center by Carlos Pino bringing in Norberto Navarro and Carter to make it 3-1 Warriors.

However, after Ave Maria tied it with two runs in the bottom of the third before Webber took another lead, this time at 4-3 with another run by Navarro, the Gyrenes jumped ahead with a three-run bottom of the fifth to go ahead 6-4 and put the a shock into the Warriors' dugout.

Down 7-4 entering the top of the seventh, Webber attempted to comeback as a double down the left field line by Carter scored Cristian Rivera before Navarro scored for the third time in the contest, this time on a sacrifice fly to left by Marcus Begg.

On the next two at bats, a hit by pitch by Pino and a walk by Carlo Mancillas loaded the bases for the Warriors with two outs, but a swinging strikeout kept the tying run in Carter from crossing the plate.

In the top of the eighth, the Warriors threatened again and put runners on second and third with no outs as Quirino Esquivel led off with a single through the left side before Rivera walked and both runners advanced 90 feet on an error by the Gyrenes' catcher. Unfortunately, two more strikeouts followed by a fly out to right ended that inning before Webber went down harmlessly in the ninth.

"We didn't have very good focus and energy," said Head Coach Brad Niethammer. "If you don't show up daily and ready to play, you don't give yourself a good chance to win."

After a 3-2 start to the season, Webber will now set its sights on getting off to a good start in The Sun Conference as the Warriors head to Lakeland, Florida, to take on the defending NAIA National Champions and No. 1-nationally ranked Southeastern University. First pitch on Friday, February 8, is set for 6:30 p.m. while the doubleheader on Saturday, February 9, is slated to begin at 12 p.m.