BABSON PARK, Fla. (April 1, 2021) – Backed by a strong starting pitching performance by Xavier Rodriguez followed by the fifth save of the season by Rey Rodriguez, the nationally-recognized Webber International University baseball team opened up its Sun Conference series with Crooked Lake rival Warner University with a 4-2 victory over the Royals on Thursday evening on the Heart of Florida Baseball Field.

X. Rodriguez (3-2) finished with 6.1 innings pitched allowing seven hits, two runs and two walks while striking out seven.

R. Rodriguez then closed out the final 2.2 innings allowing only one hit and no walks while striking out three.

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Webber started its comeback as Norberto Navarro led off with a walk, Angel Diaz singled with one out, and Dominique Collie Jr. loaded the bases with a hit by pitch. A balk scored Navarro to get the Warriors on the scoreboard before a sacrifice fly by Bryan Eusebio scored Diaz, who just got under the tag at home plate to make it 2-2.

In the bottom of the fourth, Steven Lugo single through the left side with one out and then later scored on a wild pitch with two outs to give the Warriors the lead.

Webber then scored for the third inning in a row as Collie Jr. led off the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle and then scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Victor Florentino.

Navarro would walk in each of his first three plate appearances while Lugo started off 2-for-2 and then walked on his third at bat. Like Lugo, Collie Jr. also finished 2-for-3.

Webber improved to 23-15 overall and 11-5 in The Sun Conference and is now 2-2 this season against Warner, which fell to 21-16 and 5-8.

Games two and three of the series between Webber and Warner will start at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, as the Warriors try to win their fifth conference series in six tries so far this season.