KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Despite the momentum shift from Indiana Tech baseball teams come-from-behind victory at the 2016 NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round at Hunter Wright Stadium over Middle Georgia State Wednesday afternoon, it was the Red Storm out of University of Rio Grande (Ohio) that gave the Warriors trouble, drawing the tournament sweep with a 4-3 decision Wednesday night and eliminating Tech from postseason play.
 
The Warriors were able to strike first in the much anticipated tournament rematch against the Red Storm at the hands of junior Peyton Newsom, who took the first pitch of his at-bat in the bottom of the second over the wall in left field of Hunter Wright Stadium. Four consecutive singles from the top of the Warrior's order allowed Tech to frazzle Rio Grande's starting pitcher and extend their lead to the 3-1 advantage heading into the top of the seventh.
 
For the Orange and Black, junior Tyler Wells pieced together seven strong innings of work on the mound, striking out four and only allowing only one run, in the form of a decisive long ball over the left field wall in the fifth inning, as he handed the ball over in the eighth to the bullpen.
 
With just three outs separating the Warriors from an extended stay in Kingsport and an early morning matchup with St. Thomas (Fla.) on Thursday morning, early base runners for the Red Storm proved to be trouble for the night's home team. With bases loaded and a 3-3 tie score, Rio Grande was able to capitalize on a fielder's choice, taking the 4-3 advantage now heading into the bottom half of the inning. Tech could not capitalize in their half of the ninth, dropping their second game of the Opening Round to the Red Storm.
 
Indiana Tech ends their 2016 season with a 40-20 overall record.