Kingsport, TN – The Webber International Baseball team competed on the second day of the NAIA Opening Round Tuesday afternoon. The Warriors were the designated home team against the 2nd seeded Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs. The Warriors were unable to beat the host Bulldogs, falling 6-2.
Dylan Martin got the start for the Warriors. In the first inning, he struck out one batter to keep the game scoreless. Webber went down in order.
TWU was able to get a one out single in the second, but Martin got a flyout and a groundout to end the inning. The Warriors would go down in order again.
Martin got two straight flyouts before picking up another strikeout. A Jarrett
May leadoff walk would be the first baserunner for the Warriors in the contest, but he was not able to be moved over.
The Bulldogs drew two walks in the top of the fourth, but with one out, a 6-4-3 double play ended the threat. Tyren Milliner got a two out single into the outfield but would be stranded after a flyout to the right fielder.
TWU led the fifth off with a solo home run for the first run of the game. Two singles had runners on first and second with one out. Martin would lock in and got a looking strikeout before getting a flyball to the outfield to end the threat. May and Bryan Morales hit back-to-back singles, with Morales' hit advancing May to third to put runners on the corners. A Gabriel Cruz groundout allowed May to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Martin let up a leadoff single but quickly got two outs after. Another single put runners on first and second, but a groundout ended the top of the sixth. Joseph Becker led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and would be brought home on an RBI single from Milliner. The Warriors took a 2-1 lead into the seventh.
After recording the first two outs of the seventh, Martin would give up two singles and his day would be done after 6.2 innings. Danny Rodriguez came in for relief. A single advanced the runner from second all the way around to score, and a passed ball walk allowed the Bulldogs to take a 3-2 lead. May was hit by a pitch in the seventh and was pinch ran for by Deven Tedders. Tedders would be stranded on the basepath.
With two outs and a runner on first, TWU hit a two-run home run to extend the lead 5-2. A Ryan Recio single was all Webber could get in the bottom of the eighth.
Thomas Nelson came in to pitch the ninth and issued a leadoff walk. This walk would come around to score on a double, making it 6-2 TWU. The Warriors went down in order in the ninth, falling 6-2.
Milliner led the team with two hits and one RBI, with Cruz adding the other one. Martin pitched 6.2 innings striking out five batters.
The Warriors will be back in action on Wednesday, May 15th when they take on the Columbia Cougars with a chance to play TWU again.
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