WALESKA & EMERSON, Ga. – The Indiana Tech baseball program began its 2022 season over the weekend at the NAIA Southeast Rumble, hosted by Reinhardt University, defeating Columbia International University in their opening game Friday, 14-5, before falling to No. 5-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan in seven innings, 11-1, Friday afternoon, and dropping a 6-4 decision to N0. 19-ranked Middle Georgia State University Saturday afternoon.
 
CIU Recap
 
After falling behind 2-0 to the Rams in the top of the second, the Warrior offense responded with seven runs on five hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame, with six of the seven runs coming with two outs. Tristan Osika cut the deficit in half with a sac fly to score Luiz Diaz and while it was the second out of the inning, Tech continued to churn out runs. A triple from Jayden Reed plated two runs while Trevor Patterson, Ashtin Moxey and Mike Snyder also recorded RBI knocks.
 
Osika launched a three-run homer in the third to make it a 10-2 game and that was more than enough run support for the Warrior pitching staff, with Spencer Strobel going 4.1 innings in relief to pick up the win while recording six strikeouts and allowing just two runs.
 
TWU Recap
 
The Warriors scored an unearned run in the top of the first to get ahead of the Bulldogs, but Tennessee Wesleyan responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, with three of coming off a home run by Livan Reinoso. TWU added single runs in the second and fourth before adding three in the sixth and two more in the seventh to get to the 10-rum mercy rule.
 
MGS Recap
 
Tech took advantage of a pair of Knight errors in the second to go up 2-0, only to see the home team take advantage of two walks, two steals, and an error to tie it up with a ball leaving the infield until the third out. A sacrifice fly by Jacob Daftari in the third and a Middle Georgia error in the fourth allowed the Warriors to go up 4-2, only to see the Knights tie it up in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The score remained knotted up at 4-4 until the bottom of the eight when the Knights got in business with back-to-back walks to lead off the frame. A one-out single with the bases loaded gave Middle Georgia State the lead while a bases-loaded walk two batters later made it a 6-4 game. The Warriors were able to get the go-ahead run to the plate with two on and two outs, but could not push any runs across.
 
Tech (1-2) returns to action February 18-19 as they travel to Indiana Wesleyan University for a four-game set. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. both days from Wildcat Field.