The #6 ranked nationally Webster University baseball team took a 5-4 win over #10 Marietta College, on March 13, in Port Charlotte, FL.  Freshman Matt Wollnik (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) lifted a sac fly to score Connor Hogan (FR, New Lenox, IL/Lincoln Way West HS) in the 10th to score the game winner.

The Gorloks had a 4-0 lead heading into the 8th, due to another strong starting effort by Dylan Dean Smith (SR, Albion, IL/Edwards County HS), but a three-run 8th and a run in the 9th by the Pioneers sent the game into extra-innings.

Smith had allowed only two hits through seven innings, but was touched for two leadoff singles in the 8th, and after giving up a third hit to score a run with one out, Brett Buchanan (SR, Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook HS) was summoned from the bullpen.  A wild pitch and an error on Wollnik scored two more to make it 4-3.

Smith would up going 7 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, walking two, striking out five, and giving up one earned run.

Jason Gray (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Eureka HS), who was virtually untouchable in 2013, allowed a single to start the Marietta 9th, and after a throwing error on Gray and a hit by pitch, the Pioneers had the bases loaded with none out.  A 6-4-3 double play scored one to tie the game, and after another hit by pitch, Gray got a strikeout to send the game to extra innings.

Webster took a lead in the top of the first, when Corey Lasky (SR, Vernon Hills, IL/Adlai E Stevenson HS) was hit by a pitch, and after a Ryan Hall (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Eureka HS) single, Jeff Kammer (Chesterfield, MO/Jefferson College) sent Lasky home with another single for a 1-0 lead.

In the 5th inning with one out, Hall walked and Taylor Stoulp (SR, St. Louis, MO/St. Mary's HS) followed with a double.  A ground out by Kammer scored Hall, and a single by Joe Winckel (SR, Bonne Terre, MO/North County HS) plated Stoulp to make it 3-0.  The Gorloks would make it 4-0 in the top of the 8th when Jared Turner (SR, Springfield, IL/Chatham Glenwood HS) was hit by a pitch, moved to third on consecutive groundouts, and scored on a third-strike wild pitch to Wollnik.

Winckel led off with a single in the 10th and Hogan came in to pinch run for him.  With one out, Charlie Gandolfi (Jr, Mundelein, IL/Mundelein HS), who had replaced Kevin Kojs (SR, New Lenox, IL/Lincoln Way Central HS) defensively in the 8th, reached on a bunt single.  Ian Foege (SR, Eureka, MO/Eureka HS), pinch-hitting for Zach Allam (SO, Bloomington, IN/Edgewood HS) singled to load the bases before Wollnik brought in what turned out to be the game winner with a sac fly.

Marietta had one more chance to tie it or win in the bottom of the 10th.  After a one out single, and a two-out walk, Gray coaxed a groundout to second to end the game.

Winckel wound up 2-5, with an RBI, and Lasky was 2-5, with a run scored.  Kammer was 1-5, with two RBIs for the game.  Gray picked up the win and is 1-0 on the season.

Webster will face the College of Wooster (OH) on March 14 in Port Charlotte.