TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Thomas University baseball team had a defensive duel for the ages with #16 Warner, but a trio of TU errors in the sixth inning was all it took for the Royals to slip by the Night Hawks with a 3-0 win Friday evening at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium.
 
TU (18-27, 2-17 SUN) allowed just three hits to the Royals (35-12, 11-8 SUN), the fewest given up by the Green & White this season and the fewest allowed in the Tom Fleenor era.  Freshman Left-Hander Riley Fisher (3-9) pitched eight full innings, allowing two runs off two hits while tying a season-high seven strikeouts in 95 pitches thrown.
 
While Fisher had a strong showing overall, TU's bats had trouble against Warner's John Bean (7-4), who pitched a complete game, fanning nine while giving up five hits.
 
The first five innings were deadlocked, as the Night Hawks only registered one hit in that span before Warner took advantage of the Baby Hawks' growing pains in the sixth.  After a leadoff double from WU's Brian Spradlin, Garrett Glasgow came in to pinch run for the catcher, advancing to third off a throwing error from Fisher before a Brandon Crosby RBI single drove in the first run of the day to give Warner a 1-0 lead.
 
Bad went to worse as a failed pickoff attempt led Crosby to advance two bases to third.  The Royals would extend its slim lead 2-0 on a Trey Woosley fielder's choice before a third error allowed WU's first baseman to advance to second.
 
Thomas appeared to have some momentum going their way after Freshman Dylan Schatzel recorded his third hit of the season to begin the bottom of the sixth before his pinch runner in Redshirt Freshman Cameron Rosario was picked off at first.
 
Following a three-up three-down sequence in the eighth inning, Warner added a solo blast in the ninth to extend its lead to three runs.  The Night Hawks responded in the bottom of the ninth by adding two hits before a groundout from Redshirt Senior Brad Toxen clinched a 3-0 win for the Royals.    
 
TU by the Numbers
2:        Pitchers used
3:        Innings played before the first hit of the game was surrendered
4:        Full innings of 1-2-3s
5:        Hits
7:        Games TU has allowed three or fewer runs
127:    Length of game in minutes
 
Thomas concludes the series Saturday with a doubleheader against the NAIA's 16th-ranked team.  Before the first pitch, the seniors will be recognized.  Live Video of the festivities will be provided and is scheduled to take place at approximately 11:35 a.m.
 
For up-to-date information on this series and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksBaseba.