BABSON PARK, Fla. (March 5, 2021) – The nationally-recognized Webber International University baseball team defeated its Crooked Lake rival Warner University 4-2 on Friday night on the Heart of Florida Baseball Field to earn its sixth straight win overall and 10th win in its last 11 games.

Starting pitcher Drake Kasparek (4-2) pitched the first five innings allowing three hits, two runs and two walks while striking out eight batters.

Rey Rodriguez finished off the final four innings allowing only one hit and one walk with three strikeouts to earn his third save of the season.

Kasparek stranded a runner in scoring position in each of the first, second, third and fifth innings, and then Rodriguez faced only three batters in each of his four innings.

The Webber defense, meanwhile, turned three doubles plays behind Kasparek and Rodriguez.

Offensively, the Warriors were without a hit until a two-run double to center by Norberto Navarro in the bottom of the third inning, followed by an RBI fielder's choice by Steven Lugo to make it 3-0.

That was, however, the only inning of the first seven innings in which Webber was not set down 1-2-3. Then in the bottom of the eighth inning, Lugo came up with his second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 4-2.

Webber had two hits in the eighth inning but finished with only three for the game. Navarro was 2-for-4 with two RBI's while Lugo also had two RBI's, and Victor Florentino scored twice.

Webber improved to 15-7 overall on the season and earned its first win in three tries this year against Warner, which fell to 11-7.

"Warner has played us tough all three games so far this season," said Head Coach Collin Martin. "It was fun to come out on the right side of this one. We did just enough to push across three runs and Rey [Rodriguez] made it stick. We are looking forward to the conference series with them."

Next up for Webber will be a game against another team receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Poll, Bellevue University, as the Warriors and the Bruins square off at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 7. Then, Webber will play two games at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale, Florida, playing Dordt College (Iowa) on Monday, March 8, followed by a matchup against NCAA Division-II Wayne State University on Wednesday, March 10.