March 14, 2013

For Immediate Release

Daytona Beach, Fla. – The Indiana Tech baseball team returned to its winning ways on Thursday with a 10-6 victory over the University of Saint Francis before prevailing 5-1 at No. 7 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The Warriors bumped their season record to 8-6 with the two wins while Saint Francis dropped to 3-7. Tech’s win over Embry-Riddle snapped the Eagles’ 11-game win streak as ERAU slipped to 21-4 overall.

The Warriors began the day playing Saint Francis at Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida. After a scoreless first inning against the Cougars, Tech scored five runs in the second and four more in the third to open up a commanding 9-0 lead. Saint Francis clawed their way back into the game, but the Warriors held on for the win over their crosstown rivals.

Sophomore Zach Sailors earned the win for Tech in his first career start.

Next, the Warriors traveled north to Daytona Beach to face the red-hot Eagles of Embry-Riddle. Senior pitcher Daniel Puckett, following his complete game shutout of Indiana Wesleyan University, turned in another outstanding performance on the mound. He limited the Eagles to only one unearned run on four hits and matched his career-high with eight strikeouts.

Tech opened the scoring in the first inning to take an early lead. After Justin Kalusa ripped a two-out single, he came around to score on a Bryan Brudi double for the game’s first run.

Puckett held Embry-Riddle hitless through the first three innings, but the Eagles took advantage of a Tech error in the fourth to scratch across the tying run. Puckett nearly worked his way out of the jam after the inning’s first batter reached on an error, but with two outs the Eagles got their first hit of the night, an RBI double to bring around the tying run.

The Eagles threatened again in the sixth with runners at first and second with two outs, but Puckett fanned the next batter to retire the side and keep the game tied at 1-1.

Following a scoreless seventh, the Warriors finally broke through in the eighth on a two RBI single by Kalusa. The Warriors tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the ninth when Ben Christian delivered a clutch two-out two RBI double to right.

Kalusa, who came on in relief of Puckett in the eighth, slammed the door shut in the ninth to pick up the save.

Kalusa finished the night 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base and recorded his first save of the season after throwing two innings of shutout relief. Brudi also collected two hits in the game with an RBI.

The Warriors wrap up their Florida trip on Saturday, Mar. 16 with games against Spring Arbor University and Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida.

For more information on Indiana Tech athletics please call the Athletic Office at 260-422-5561 ext. 2492 or visit our website at http://www.indianatech.edu/athletics

- Go Warrior Pride -