Babson Park, FL – The 4th-ranked Webber International Baseball team hosted the 1st-ranked Southeastern Fire for the first game of a four-game conference series Thursday night. The Warriors held a slim 6-5 lead heading into the ninth inning but were unable to contain the Fire and fell 9-6.
Blayne Huter got the start for the Warriors as he pitched 6.0 innings, giving up two hits and four runs while striking out six Fire batters. Seth Lovell, Danny Rodriguez, and Thomas Nelson also pitched for the Warriors.
The Fire were able to get on the board first following a Warrior error in the first. Camren Carroll would get a leadoff hit for the Warriors, but pinch runner Jonathan Vega would only get to third before the inning ended.
Huter shut down the fire in the second inning, ending the top of the second with three batters faced. A leadoff walk from Brody Neveker and a single from Ty Milliner put the first two Warriors on base in the second. Neveker stole third and then was able to tie the game on a passed ball.
The Fire would put up three runs in the top of the third to take a 4-1 lead. A solo home run from Ryan Recio would cut the deficit in half, but that was all Webber got headed to the fourth.
Neither team was able to muster anything in the fourth as Southeastern had a one two three inning, while Webber sent four batters to the plate after a Joseph Becker hit by pitch.
The top of the fifth featured another three up three down for SEU and the Warriors would get to work in the bottom half. Singles from Ian Kalman and Recio followed by a walk from Milliner loaded the bases for the Warriors, and an error from a hard hit ball off the bat of Bryan Morales would score Kalman with one out. Gabriel Cruz had a single to left center that scored both Recio and Milliner giving Webber a 5-4 lead.
Huter would face four more batters in his final inning of work, stranding one runner. Webber would get an insurance run in the sixth, as Milliner would score off of a double from Neveker, making in 6-4.
Lovell came in in the seventh, pitching well but giving up one run after a Warrior error allowed a runner to advance to second before a single down the line scored him. Webber would go down in order in the bottom half.
A leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt would have a runner on third for SEU before Rodriguez checked in and struck out two batters stranding the runner. Carroll would lead off the eighth for Webber with a hit by pitch, but the next three Warriors would go down in order, as Webber held a 6-5 lead into the ninth.
A walk, two singles, and two wild pitches allowed Southeastern to plate four runs in the top of the ninth inning, taking a 9-6 lead with Webber down to their final three outs. The Warriors would only be able to send out four batters as they fell to the Fire 9-6.
The Warriors will be back in action on Friday, March 15th when they host Southeastern for a double header starting at 2 PM.
