The #4 ranked Webster University baseball team made its first foray into Iowa for St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play a successful one as the Gorloks beat Iowa Wesleyan University, 9-8, in Mt. Pleasant on April 5. The win extended the Webster win streak to nine and left them at 7-0 and in first place in the SLIAC.
The Tigers, a new baseball club that would appear to be easy prey for the Gorloks, provided Webster with a cliffhanger in the series opener. Wesleyan had Webster on the ropes in the bottom of the ninth with the bases-loaded and one out, down by just a run, but closer Jason Gray struck out the final two Tigers to preserve the win.
Webster jumped on top with a five-run first. Charlie Gandolfi (JR, Mundelein,IL/Mundelein HS), Taylor Stoulp (SR, St. Louis, MO/St. Mary's HS), and Jeff Kammer JR, Chesterfield, MO/Jefferson College), all singled with one out to load the bases. Joe Winckel (SR, Bonne Terre, MO/North County HS) grounded into a fielder's choice at second, scoring Gandolfi.
A Kevn Kojs (SR, New Lenox, IL/Lincoln Way Central HS) single scored Stoulp and Max Morohashi (SO, Los Angeles, CA/Campbell Hall) followed with a three-run home run, his second long ball of the year, to make it 5-0.
Chris Jansen (JR, Cicero, IN/St. Joseph's College) started and was rolling along through five innings, allowing two single runs in the first and second, but ran into big trouble in the sixth. Jansen allowed a double and single to start the inning, and an error on Jansen allowed one run to score.
Dylan Dean Smith (SR, Albion, IL/Edwards County HS) relieved and after a sac bunt gave up back to back singles to score two more. After a fly out and another run-scoring single, Brett Buchanan (SR, Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook HS) was summoned from the bullpen. Buchanan struck out the final batter to end the rally, but the Tigers were up 6-5. Jansen went five innings, giving up eight hits and a walk, five runs, four earned, and striking out six.
Webster came back to take the lead in the seventh. Freshman shortstop Matt Wollnik (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) doubled and Corey Lasky (SR, Vernon Hills, IL/Adlai E Stevenson HS) reached on a bunt single. Gandolfi doubled to score both, making it 7-6 Webster. After Gandolfi was caught stealing, Kammer walked, forcing a Wesleyan pitching change Winckel singled and a Kojs single scored Kammer, making it 8-6 Gorloks.
After Buchanan threw a scoreless seventh, Webster picked up what turned out to be a big insurance run in the eighth. Wollnik reached on an E6, Lasky singled, Stoulp was hit by a pitch, and a Kammer single scored Wollnik, and though Lasky was out at home trying to score, Webster now led 9-6.
Buchanan pitched a scoreless eighth but got into a jam in the ninth. He walked the first two batters and with one out, allowed a single to load the bases. When Buchanan walked in a run to make it 9-7, Gray (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Eureka HS was brought in. After giving up a single to make it 9-8, and the bases still loaded, Gray struck out the final to batters to end the game.
Buchanan picked up the win, making him 2-0 on the season. He went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and three walks, one run, and striking out five. Gray recorded his third save.
Gandolfi was 3-5, with a run and RBI and Kojs was 3-5 with a run and two RBIs. Kammer was 2-3, with a run, an RBI, and two walks. Morohashi finished 1-3, with the three-run HR. He is 7-17 on the year, with two home runs and 11 RBIs. The Gorloks banged out 16 hits in the win.
Webster improves to 15-3 overall on the season. The Gorloks will complete the three-game series at Wesleyan with a doubleheader on April 6. Webster is back home at GCS Ballpark with a doubleheader vs. Principia College (IL) on April 8.