WARRIORS WIN COME-FROM-BEHIND THRILLER AGAINST NORTHWESTERN

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - A monumental eighth inning helped the Warriors (7-8) pull off their third consecutive win and a thrilling comeback against Northwestern (IA) (6-8) on the Warriors' second day of the RussMatt Invitational. After struggling to get hits in the first few innings, the Warriors exploded for six runs in the eighth to take a lead they held onto for the rest of the game.

Designated hitter Reese Ungvarsky led the Warriors at home plate with two hits and one run, while right fielder Donovan Galovich logged two RBI on a go-ahead play to help the Warriors take the lead. Pitcher Trace Hudson entered in the final inning and struck out two batters to secure the save.

LET'S PLAY BALL

FIRST THREE INNINGS

• Ungvarsky hit a single before stealing second base in the first inning, but the Warriors weren't connecting with hits throughout the first few innings. The Warriors closed out the first with a double-play, where Lucas Bateman, Raymond Perez III, and Jack LaRue all connected
• The Warriors had their first scoring opportunity emerge in the second, following a deep drive to left field by junior Nik Czajka. However, the Warriors popped out the next two at-bats. The Red Raiders put the pressure on with two runs in the second. Before being able to do more damage, Northwestern was halted by a strikeout by starting pitcher Collin Powers
• The third inning was quick for both teams, as both teams were out within five at-bats

THE NEXT THREE

• The fourth inning was another quick one. Hudson stole second after pinch-running for catcher Aidan Alspaugh, but the Warriors had trouble at bat again. On a positive note, the Warriors recovered nicely after conceding a double, forcing three consecutive outs
• A pitching change gave the Warriors more trouble in the fifth, as all three batters struck out swinging. On the other side, Rochester did a great job holding up a runner at third, with second baseman Lucas Bateman making a tough catch to end the inning
• The sixth inning was another tough one for the Warriors, with three quick outs and a run conceded by a wild pitch. Rochester kept their composure and got the next batter out to end a tough stretch

THE CLOSER

• The seventh inning showed life for Rochester offensively. Brendan DeFlorio got things going with a single before stealing second. He and Czajka then advanced to third and second to put the Warriors in a prime scoring position. DeFlorio secured a run after advancing on an error by the catcher. To answer the point, the Red Raiders scored on a sacrifice fly to quell the Warriors seemingly
• But that wasn't the case. Ungvarsky doubled to center field before Bateman and Alspaugh advanced on HBPs. With two outs, Luke Jayaraman began a critical run for the Warriors with a single to run in Ungvarsky. An error then allowed Bateman to run home, and a wild pitch brought in Alspaugh
• It wasn't over yet, as Galovich made one of the night's biggest plays - the junior doubled to center field for two RBI (Jayaraman and DeFlorio) to take the lead for Rochester. Perez continued his stellar start to the season with a single that gave Galovich a run to set up Rochester in a great spot. The Red Raiders challenged the Warriors with a run scored and several players on base, but Bateman and Czajka made brilliant fielding plays to end the scoring there
• After all three Warriors struck out in the ninth inning, it all came down to a riveting final set of at-bats. Hudson got to work immediately with a strikeout before Jayaraman dove for a crucial flyout to put the Warriors in a winning position. After two batters walked, Hudson made a spectacular pitch that found the back of Alspaugh's glove, securing a three-game winning streak for the Warriors and the first save of Hudson's career

STAT OF THE GAME

In all three of Rochester's wins during this streak, the Warriors have returned from down at least three runs.

POSTGAME PRESSER

Head Coach Scott Kunert had this to say on the win:

"The momentum is crazy. We've had three straight wins with our back against the wall, down late in the game. It all just comes back to wanting it more - and baseball is all about stringing some good at-bats together as well. How about some really key hits, like the one from [Galovich]."

UP NEXT

The Warriors get a one-day break before playing Valley City State on Friday at 9:15 a.m.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications