Finishing the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 26-0 record, the #2 ranked Webster University baseball team defeated Fontbonne University, 14-2, on May 4, on Senior Night at GCS Ballpark. The Gorloks set a record for conference wins in a season, in the first year the SLIAC schedule was expanded to 27 games.
Webster set the previous record for wins in the SLIAC in a season in 2009 as the Gorloks went 24-0. Webster only played 26 SLIAC contests because of the cancellation of a game with Eureka College. The Gorloks are 34-5 overall on the season.
The Gorlok offense was in high-gear from the first inning on, scoring five in the first, six in the second, one in third, and two in the fourth. Webster had 17 hits for the game and built a 14-0 lead after four.
A Kevin Kojs (SR, New Lenox, IL/Lincoln Way Central HS) two run-double was the big hit in the five-run first. In the six-run second, a Taylor Stoulp (SR, St. Louis, MO/St. Mary's HS) solo home run and RBI doubles by Matt Wollnik (FR, Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) and Ryan Hall (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Eureka HS) were the big hits.
Joe Winckel (SR, Bonne Terre, MO/North County HS) hit a solo home run in the third, and Stoulp had a two-run double in the fourth. For Winckel, it was his team-leading fifth home run and 41st RBI.
Jason Gray (SR, St. Louis, MO/Eureka HS), normally the Webster closer, started and went the first four innings, earning his second win. Gray allowed two hits and two walks, no runs, and struck out two, improving to 2-0. Since it was a planned early exit for Gray, under NCAA rules he can be credited with the win, despite not pitching the usually required five innings for a starter.
Stoulp was 2-4, with a double and home run, three RBIs and two runs. Winckel was 2-3, with a double and home run, three runs scored and an RBI. Lasky was 3-5, with an RBI and two runs and Wollnik was 3-4, with a double, RBI, and two runs scored. Kojs was 2-4, with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Senior Brett Buchanan (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) chipped in with a 2-4 night, with two runs scored.
It was senior night and nine Gorloks played their final home game at GCS. Buchanan, Gray, Ian Foege (Eureka, MO/ Eureka HS), Hall, Lasky, Kojs, Stoulp, Jared Turner (Springfield, IL/Chatham Glenwood HS), and Winckel all were honored in a pre-game ceremony.
Next up for Webster is the SLIAC Tournament on May 8-10, at Glik Park in Highland, IL. As the #1 seed, the Gorloks will face the Griffins in the first round on May 8. A win would advance Webster to a second round game on May 9, and a loss would send them to a second game on the 8th at 8:00 p.m. The winner of the Tournament advances to the NCAA III Championships.