BABSON PARK, Fla. (January 31, 2020) – The No. 16 Webber International University baseball team withstood a three-run top of the eighth inning by Columbia International University, a first-year baseball program from South Carolina, as the Warriors hung on to earn a close 5-4 win on a rainy Friday night in Babson Park, Florida.

It was the start of a stretch of 11 straight home games for Webber (3-1 overall), the second longest stretch of consecutive home games the Warriors will embark on this season. For CIU (0-1), it was its first collegiate baseball game in the 96-year history of the school.

The go-ahead run for the Warriors in the bottom of the fourth came off the bat of junior Orlando Pena, who led off the inning by belting his first career home run over the wall in right field to put Webber ahead by a score of 2-1.

Then, after three straight swinging strikeouts by new pitcher Hunter Morales (1-0) in the top of the fifth, the Warriors opened things up to a four-run lead at 5-1 with a three-run bottom of the fifth that was capped off by an RBI-triple to left center by Pena to score Gene Reid II.

That run by Reid II would eventually go on to be the winning run as a three-run top of the eighth for CIU made things interesting.

Fortunately, closer Gerig Blackman recorded a swinging strikeout to strand two runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth, and then in the top of the ninth Blackman worked around two hard-hit fly outs to lead off the inning before stranding the tying run on first base with a groundout to Norberto Navarro at second base to end it.

Blackman earned his second save of the season four games in as he allowed two hits, zero walks and no runs over the final 1.1 innings of the ballgame. Morales earned the win with three innings pitched allowing only one hit, two walks and zero runs while striking out six, and starter Rey Rodriguez opened up the first four innings of the contest giving up only one run on one hit and three walks with six strikeouts as well.

Warriors finishing with two hits at the plate included Pena (2-4 with two RBI's), Navarro (2-3) and Rougie Odor (2-4).

The Warriors and the Rams will return to the Heart of Florida Baseball Field tomorrow on Saturday, February 1, to kick off the new month with two more games starting at 12 p.m.