A late comeback effort fell short for Thomas University at the Sun Conference Championship in Ft. Meyers, FL, as the Night Hawks fell 8-5 to #17 Webber International. The loss ended the NIght Hawks season at 25-33 with a 5th place finish in the tournament.

TU jumped out early on a leadoff homer by Jalbert Melo, his team leading 9th of the year, to give the Night Hawks a 1-0 lead after the first inning. It would be all Webber after that for the next 3 innings, as they tallied 6 runs (4 earned) off TU starter Chris Rzewnicki. Justin Young would enter the game with the bases loaded in 4-1 game with 2 outs in the 4th, but an error on grounder would allow 2 runs to score, making it 6-1.

TU would begin the charge in the 6th when Taylor Westbrook singled to lead off the inning, and would later score after back-to-back singles by Tanner Long and Tanner Elsbernd, making it 6-2. The Night Hawks would add 2 more in the 7th when Reed Melcolm scored on an error by the Warrior 3rd baseman, and Wyatt Petrey scored on a single by Logan Place to get within 6-4. In the 8th, Dillon True would score on a Petrey single making it a 1 run game at 6-5 headed to the final inning.

In the top of the ninth, Webber would score 2 runs on 4 hits before Jacob Moye came in to get an inning ending double play with runners on the corners. TU would not go quietly in the bottom half, loading the bases with 2 outs on a double by Long and a single by Elsbernd, followed by Levi Hollingsworth getting hit by a pitch. A strikeout would end the threat, and the Night Hawks season, sending the Warriors to another elimination game tonight.

Rzewnicki would take the loss on the mound, surrendering 6 runs, 4 ER, on 7 hits and 3 BB, striking out 1. Young gave up 7 hits, 2 ER, while garnering 6 strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.

Elsbernd finished the day 3-5 at the plate, while Long and Westbrook added 2 hits each.

Today's loss marks the end for seniors  True, Blake Summers, Elsbernd, Long, John Jones, Moye, Braxton Hicks, Joshua Roye, Jordan Sopotnick, Brooks Timmons, David Wood, Jordan Martin, and Codey Conway. This year's team would garner numerous awards, including 1st team All-Conference (Melo), 2nd team All-Conference (Elsbernd), 7 Academic All-Conference (Long, Elsbernd, Conway, Trent Miller, Summers, Hicks, and Colin Kirkland). These same seven players were also nominated for the NAIA Scholar Athlete award.