The Webster University baseball team won its second straight at the Russ Matt Invitational, beating Rhodes College (TN), 8-1, on March 10 in Auburndale, FL.  Matt Goro pitched 8 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.

With two out and a Lynx run in, Goro (SO, Wildwood, MO/Lafayette HS) relieved starter Chris Jansen (SR, Cicero, IN/Bishop Chatard HS) and promptly picked off a runner at first to end the inning.  Jansen had walked three and committed an error, leading to an early exit.

Goro (1-0) scattered six hits, walked none, and struck out five while pitching 8 1/3 shutout innings.   He now has 11 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings pitched on the season.

Webster had a 4-1 lead after six innings, but blew the contest open in a four-run seventh.   The Gorloks loaded the bases with two out.  Matt Wollnik (SO, Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) singled, Zach Allam (JR, Bloomington, IN/Edgewood HS) was hit by a pitch, and Mike Golich (FR, Aurora, IL/Aurora West HS) walked.

An error by the Lynx third baseman on an Alec Bahnick (SO, Owensboro, KY/Owensboro Catholic HS) grounder allowed Wollnik and Allam to score.  Charlie Gandolfi (SR, Mundelein, IL/Mundelein HS) walked to load the bases back up and Blake Thomas (JR, Troy, IL/Triad HS) singled in Golich and Bahnick score, making it 8-1.

Webster had taken the lead in the third.  Golich and Bahnick singled, but Golich was thrown out at second after rounding the base.  Bahnick swiped second and an error on the Rhodes pitcher on Gandolfi allowed Bahnick to score.  After Gandolfi stole third, Kyle Uhrich (SO, St. Louis, MO/Maryville University) singled him in for a 2-1 lead.

The Gorloks picked up two more in the fifth.  Thomas had a one-out single, Uhrich walked, and a Jeff Kammer (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Lafayette HS) single loaded the bases.  A Connor Hogan (SO, New Lenox, IL/Lincoln Way West HS) single scored Thomas.  Wollnik drove in Uhrich with a groundout for a 4-1 lead.

The Gorloks banged out 15 hits in the game.  Thomas was 2-4, with two RBIs and Gandolfi was 2-4 with an RBI and walk.  Bahnick was 1-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Kammer finished the afternoon 3-5 with a double.  Wollnik was 2-4 with an RBI and Uhrich 2-4 with an RBI and a walk.

Webster, ranked 18th in the latest D3baseball.com poll, is 3-4 on the season with the win.  The Gorloks continue play in Florida on March 11 with a game vs. Waynesburg University (PA).