Webster used some clutch relief pitching and two big RBIs from freshman designated hitter R.J. LaRocco (San Diego, Calif./Point Loma) in the seventh and ninth innings to remain alive in the NCAA Division III Decatur Regional as the No. 2 seeded Gorloks picked up a 4-3 win over No. 5 seeded Transylvania in an elimination game at the Workman Family Baseball Field at Millikin University.
With the win, the Gorloks improve to 37-7 on the season and advance to another elimination game tonight at around 6 p.m. against the loser of Saturday's winner's bracket final between No. 1 seeded and top-ranked WashU and No. 3 seeded Denison University. The winner of that game advances to Sunday's championship round and must lose twice in the double elimination tournament.
In Saturday's elimination round game, the Gorloks were outhit, 10-6, but scored single runs in the seventh and ninth innings to post the come-from-behind win over the Pioneers, who end their 2021 season with a 32-12 record.
The comeback began in the bottom of the sixth as Transylvania loaded the bases on two hits and a one-out walk issued by junior Ben Kowlaski (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township), before Kowalski, who was pitching in relief of freshman Alek Elges (Littleton, Colo./J.K. Mullen), would force Trent Pahl to hit an infield fly for the second out and then struck out Trent Youngblood on a 2-2 count to keep the score 3-2 in Transylvania's favor.
Webster would tie the game in the top of the seventh as third-year sophomore third baseman Mitch Daniels (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) drew a lead-off walk and then moved to second on another walk issued to fifth-year senior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) and then fourth-year junior rightfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) moved the runners up a base on a bunt. With LaRocco at the plate, Max Medley, who replaced the Pioneers' starter Evan Hall after walking Hopp, picked up Daniels at third for the for the second out. Two pitches after the pick off, LaRocco drilled an RBI single to center that scored Hopp to tie the game.
Transylvania would put two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth on singles by Henry Molloy and Matt Broadway before fourth-year junior Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) replaced Kowalski and would get out of the jam by striking out Pahl to keep the game tied.
In the ninth, third-year sophomore catcher Zach Goodman (Greenwood Village, Colo./Arapahoe) walked to open the inning and then the next hitter, Daniels, walked and after Hopp struck out for the first out, Lovell also drew a walk from Trent Youngblood to load the bases. The next hitter, LaRocco, would hit a fly ball deep to left for a sacrifice fly that scored fifth-year senior pinch runner Garrett Davis (Geneva, Ill./Elgin CC) with the go-ahead run.
Anderson would retire the Pioneers in order in the bottom of the ninth as he forced Youngblood to ground out, before recording back-to-back strikeouts on Wade Lopiccolo and Hudson Chastain to seal the Gorloks win and keep their season alive.
Early in the game, the Gorloks loaded the bases in the top of the first thanks to two hits and two walks and scored the first run of the game when second-year freshman leftfielder Landon Vahle (Lee's Summit, Mo./St. Michael Archangel) drew a bases loaded walk issued by Transylvania starter Evan Hall.
Transylvania, though, would come back and record three hits and took advantage of a walk to plate two runs and take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.
Webster tied the game in the top of the third as fifth-year senior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) hit a ball deep to right field for a triple and on the relay throw back into the field, Chastain would overthrew the third baseman and that overthrow allowed Kent to score to tie the game at 2-all.
Youngblood gave the Pioneers a 3-2 lead on his leadoff homer over the wall in right off Elges (Littleton, Colo./J.K. Mullen) in the bottom of the fifth.
Kent paced Webster's offense with two hits, while LaRocco had two of Webster's three RBI in the win. LaRocco is now tied for the team lead in multiple RBI games with nine.
Michael Blair and Nick Wade each had two hits for the Pioneeers.
Anderson (2-0) earned the win as he retired all four batters he faced, including striking out three of them. Kowalski would toss three innings and allow five hits and no runs, while walking one and tying a career high with four strikeouts.
Youngblood (3-3) took the loss for Transylanvia as he tossed two innings and allowed one run on no hits, while walking three and striking out two.
The two teams combined to leave to 17 runners on base as Webster stranded eight and Transylvania left nine on base. The Pioneers also committed two errors, both of which came from Chastain.