The Webster University baseball team defeated the 5th-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 4-0, at the Russ Matt Central Florida Invitational, on March 14 in Auburndale, FL.  The Gorloks, cracking the poll themselves at #18 this week, went with Johnny Lord for his first start on the mound for the season and he responded with 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

In the Gorlok second, Matt Wollnik (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley) singled and Jake Milosch (SO, St. Charles, IL/St. Charles East) walked.  A balk sent both to second and third and Joe Swanson (FR, Park Ridge, IL/Maine West) hit a sac fly to score Wollnik.  Nate Tholl (SO, Tinley Ridge, IL/John A Logan CC) followed with a single to score Milosch and Webster led, 2-0.

Milosch walked with one out in the seventh, took second on a ground out and then third on a passed ball.  Tholl walked, then took second on a passed ball.  Mike Wick (JR, Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) singled Milosch and Tholl home for two big insurance runs to give Webster a 4-0 lead.  Wick's hit was just the third of the game for the Gorloks, but a big one.

Lord (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley) scattered four hits and a walk, while striking out seven, over his 6 1/3 scoreless innings.  He is 1-0 on the season.  Lord gave way to Brandon Smith (SR, Imperial, MO/Seckman) after giving up a pair of singles in the seventh.  After striking the first batter he faced, Smith walked a batter to load the bases and Kyle Uhrich (SR, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves) was summoned from the bullpen.  Uhrich got out of the jam by striking out the next batter on a full count.

Ulrich allowed a pair of singles by the Eagles with one down in the eighth, but escaped damage with a 6-4-3 twin killing.  After a lead off single in the ninth, Uhrich retired the next two batters, and a caught stealing ended the game with the Gorloks 4-0 winners.  Uhrich threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the save, giving up three hits and striking out three.

Smith has become quite the workhorse for the Gorlok staff, pitching in six of the team's 11 games so far this season.

Tholl was 1-3 with an RBI and run scored, and Wick was 1-3 with two RBIs.  Webster wound up with four hits on the afternoon, but it was enough for the win.

Wisconsin-La Crosse, 3-3, is ranked 5th nationally in the most recent ABCA NCAA III poll and 8th in the d3baseball.com/NCBWA poll.  The Eagles were 39-10 in 2016 and advanced to the NCAA III World Series.

Webster is now 8-3 on the season and have a day off before playing the College of New Jersey on March 16 back in Auburndale.