Matchup: No. 22 Keiser University Seahawks vs (rv) Webber International University Warriors
Records: Keiser Seahawks
(19-6, 3-1 SUN))
vs. Webber International Warriors (14-12, 1-3 SUN)
Game One Score: Keiser 8, Webber International 0
Pitchers of Record: W:
K. Keyes (3-0), L: T. Carter (2-3)
Time of Game: 9:30 AM
Game Two Score: Keiser 10, Webber International 4
Pitchers of Record: W:
S. Germano (1-0), L: J. Martinez (1-1)
Time of Game: 12:45 PM
(2 hours of lightning delay, bottom of 5th)
Silvester Jr. Field, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Dimensions: 300 - Left; 330 - Left Center; 350 - Center; 357 - Right Center; 305 - Right
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – No. 22 Keiser Baseball swept a doubleheader from (rv) Webber International on Saturday at Silvester Jr. Field, blanking the Warriors 8-0 in the opener before a 10-4 victory in game two — despite a two-hour lightning delay — to take the series 3-1. With the doubleheader sweep, the Seahawks improved to 19-6 on the season.
Game one belonged to Kyle Keyes. The right-hander tossed eight scoreless innings and allowed just five hits while the Keiser offense staked him to an early and comfortable cushion. The Seahawks got on the board in the first with a pair of runs, headlined by a Cameron Hancock RBI single and a bases-loaded walk from Alex Getz, and never looked back. Maddox Shaver kept the offense humming in the third with a two-RBI single through the left side that plated Tad Brooks and Jeremy Garcia, pushing the lead to 4-0. Keiser then broke it open with a three-run fifth, getting production from Avery Doezie, Ty Martinez, and Jake Olsen to effectively put the game away before Bastyan Hernandez closed things out in the ninth. Shaver was the offensive standout on the day, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, while Ty Martinez was a menace at the top of the order, reaching base all five times he came to the plate and scoring twice.
Game two was more of a back-and-forth affair early before the Seahawks took control for good in the fourth inning and pulled away for a 10-4 win. Webber grabbed the early lead in the second on a Steven Nitch RBI single, but the Seahawks answered in the third with a two-run frame fueled by patient at-bats and clutch hitting with the bases loaded — Chris Sorge delivered as a pinch hitter with a bases-loaded walk, and Karson Nadal followed with an RBI single to give Keiser a 2-1 lead. Webber briefly tied things up in the fourth on a Keegan Martin RBI double, however, the Seahawks responded immediately and decisively, with Tad Brooks ripping a two-RBI single to right and Avery Doezie adding an RBI groundout to push the lead to 5-2. Webber made it interesting with a Ty Mathews solo shot in the fifth before play was suspended in the bottom of half of the inning due to lightning, halting the action for two hours. When play resumed, the Warriors cashed one run in at the top of the sixth on a groundout, but Keiser answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half— highlighted by a pinch hit two-RBI single from Alex Getz — to stretch the advantage back to four. Jeremy Garcia put the finishing touches on the victory with a two-RBI single in the eighth that scored Jake Olsen and Elian Collado.
Olsen was outstanding across both games on Saturday, going 4-for-4 with four walks, three runs scored, and a stolen base, while Garcia finished 3-for-7 with two RBI and four runs scored. Tad Brooks went 2-for-6 with three walks and four RBI. Sebastien Germano earned the win in relief, his first of the season, tossing two solid innings and allowing just one earned run.
- With the series win, Keiser improved to 19-6 on the season and 3-1 in conference play
- Kyle Keyes was dominant in Saturday's opener, tossing eight shutout innings and allowing just five hits while throwing only 74 pitches
- Sebastien Germano got his first win of the season coming in relief for starter Jack Sanchez in the finale
- Ty Martinez was a catalyst throughout the series, reaching base with consistent regularity. In Saturday's first game alone, he reached base all five plate appearances — three walks, one hit by pitch, and one single — scoring twice
- Jeremy Garcia was one of the most productive bats on Saturday, finishing with multiple hits and RBI contributions in the second game while scoring twice and providing steady defense at third base throughout the series
- Jake Olsen was outstanding when it mattered most, reaching base all six of his plate appearances in the finale — going 2-for-2 with four walks — scoring three runs and adding a stolen base
- Tad Brooks was equally disciplined at the plate, drawing three walks to go along with his two-RBI single and finishing on base four of his six trips to the dish
- Webber burned through seven pitchers on Saturday afternoon, issuing 16 walks and hitting two batters — a combined 18 free passes that proved fatal against a disciplined Keiser lineup
- Maddox Shaver emerged as a key contributor in Saturday's opener, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI while also turning in a reliable performance up the middle defensively at second base
- The two-hour lightning delay did little to slow the Seahawks down, as Keiser outscored Webber 5-2 after play resumed to close out the 10-4 victory
- Keiser's offense drew 16 walks on Saturday afternoon alone, with Elian Collado and Jake Olsen each drawing four walks to tie the school record for walks in a game
The Seahawks head to Ave Maria, Fla. next week to take on the Gyrenes in a four-game series in conference play. First pitch is Friday, March, 19th at 6:00 PM.
