Sauget, Ill., April 17, 2012 – The Washington University in St. Louis baseball team was unable to overcome an eight-run deficit as the Bears suffered a 12-9 road loss against Webster University on Tuesday evening at GCS Ballpark.
The Gorloks (18-9) jumped on Washington U. starting pitcher junior Stephen Bonser in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four runs on two hits, two errors and three walks, to take a 4-0 lead. The Bears, who are ranked No. 19 in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Poll and No. 24 in the D3Baseball.com Poll, got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, cutting the lead to 4-3.
Freshman Zack Kessinger led off with a single to right-center field, and sophomore Oliver Lowry drew a one-out walk. A balk by the Webster pitcher moved Kessinger and Lowry to second and third, before senior Kevin Paule doubled over the head of the left fielder to make the score 4-2. Junior David Madson kept the inning alive when he reached on an error that allowed Paule to score and cut the Gorloks' lead to 4-3.
Webster added a run in the bottom of the second, before breaking the game open with five runs on three hits in the bottom of the third to make the score 10-3. Two more runs for the Gorloks in the bottom of the sixth extended their lead to 12-3. In the top of the seventh, sophomore Kyle Billig hit a lead-off single to left field, and advanced to second on an error on the play. Freshman Andrew Goldstick followed with an RBI single down the right-field line that made the score 12-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Bears got back into the game with four runs on two hits and an error. Lowry was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Paule drew a walk. After a pitching change, Webster got back-to-back strikeouts, giving Washington U. runners on first and second with two outs. Billig drew a walk to load the bases and junior Andrew Dwoskin got a pinch-hit single to the shortstop that scored Lowry. With the bases loaded and two outs, senior Brandon Rogalski popped up high on the right side of the infield, but the Webster first baseman failed to make the catch, which allowed two runs to score. Kessinger followed with a single to right field to make the score 12-9, but a line-out to center field ended the rally for the Bears. Washington U. was unable to get any runners on base in the ninth as Webster held on for the win.
Paule (2-for-4, two RBIs, two runs) and Kessinger (2-for-5, one RBI, one run) both recorded multiple hits for the Bears. Bonser (5-2) took the loss for the Bears after allowing eight runs, seven earned, on five hits in 2 1/3 innings. Bonser also issued five walks in the game, while striking out one. Sophomore Brendan Rooney, who entered the game with 12 strikeouts in 17 innings this season, fanned a career-high nine batters in 4 2/3 innings of relief for the Bears. Rooney allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits. Senior Michael Fletcher pitched the final scoreless inning for Washington U. Both teams had four errors in the game.
Washington U. (23-8) returns to action at Greenville College on Friday, April 19. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Greenville, Ill.
Bear Notebook: Tuesday's contest the first road game of the season for Washington U. … The Bears won the first meeting between the two teams, 12-7, at Kelly Field on March 21 … It marked the second-straight loss for WU … Billig extended his team-best hitting streak to 14 games with his single in the seventh inning.