KINGSPORT, Tenn. –Campbellsville baseball suffered their first loss of the 2019 postseason as they fell in their first game of the NAIA Opening Round to Webber International University 5-2 on Monday afternoon.
 
In its simplest form, the game came down to hitting with runners on base and with runners in scoring position. As a team, the Tigers went 1-for-12 (.083) with runners on base and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position to leave a total of 11 men on base in the game. In turn, WIU went 4-for-15 (.267) and 3-for-11 (.273) in those categories.
 
CU got out to an early 1-0 lead after a solo home run from Tony Fonzo led off the second inning. Fonzo's shot to left was his first home run since March 23 against Shawnee State.
 
The Warriors responded with a single run in each of their next three trips to the plate in the bottom of the second, third, and fourth. The run in the second was scored after two outs when third baseman Cristian Rivera singled to right with two outs, tying the game at 1-1.
 
Rivera came into the day hitting .190 on the season but came through for Webber on Monday with a 2-for-3 game in the seven-spot in the WIU lineup with a run scored and that RBI.
 
Hitting right behind Rivera, Warrior catcher Carlos Pino went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to help extend the Webber lead. In the fourth, Pino singled into right-center with two outs, scoring Rivera, who was on the move as the 3-2 pitch was delivered.
 
The turning point in the game may have come in the top of the fifth as the Tigers threatened with two runners in scoring position with one out then eventually bases loaded and two outs. 
 
Bryson Wallet roped a ball on the ground down the third base line but it was Rivera on defense this time thwarting CU as he dove to his right, gloved the ball cleanly and threw on to first in time to end the inning, keeping the Tigers off the board and the score at 3-1.
 
WIU added two unearned runs in the sixth inning, knocking Campbellsville starter Tyler Deason out of the game to extend their lead to 5-1. Deason battled through 5.1 innings allowing the five runs, only two earned, on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
 
Ricardo Garcia was the starting pitcher for Webber International and he exceeded expectations going 7.2 innings allowing two earned runs on eight hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Garcia continuously pitched out of trouble as he entered the day with a 5.89 ERA in only 36.2 innings pitched.
 
CU's second run came on another solo home run in the seventh inning, this time off the bat of Marco Murillo as he smashed a ball on a line to left as it just cleared the wall. Murillo the second Tiger at bat with the bases loaded and two outs and he grounded into a fielder's choice force out at second base in the eighth inning.
 
Campbellsville continued to battle through the ninth as the first two batters reached base but Deason flied out to left and Wallet grounded into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play and that was how Webber International closed it out.
 
The Tigers will move into the losers' bracket to face Marian University tomorrow morning with a scheduled 11 a.m. ET first pitch.