Webster Wins Fifth SLIAC Tournament Championship
Highland, Ill. - Fighting off the elements and a sluggish offense, the Webster University baseball team overcame a 3-0 deficit with a nine-run outburst in two innings to defeat Greenville College, 9-3, for the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 2011 Tournament crown. The Gorloks will be making their sixth trip to the NCAA Division III Championships in the past seven seasons with the win at Glik Park in Highland, Ill., on May 14.
Webster turned seven hits and four walks in the seventh and eighth innings into a 9-3 lead, after reaching Greenville starter Daniel Covert for just three hits through six innings. The Gorloks had three straight singles and scored a run to open the seventh inning. With two outs and runners at second and third, Greenville elected to walk Anthony Genna to load the bases. A walk to Tom Henke forced in one run and a wild pitch tied the score. A two-run single by Paul Kienker gave Webster its first lead, 5-3, of the evening.
A four-run eighth, keyed by a two-run double by Genna, gave the Gorloks their 9-3 lead. After a two-hour rain delay, the team battled a 15-20 mile wind, and blowing mist and rain throughout the contest. With the wind blowing in from the outfield, manufactured runs were the key to the game.
Dylan Dean Smith and Covert battled on the mound through six innings, with only Smith allowing a run, in the first, on a pair of walks and a double by Covert. Smith got into a jam in the seventh by loading the bases with one out. Jason Gray relieved Smith and forced in a run with a hit batsman, and after a nifty forceout at home on a dribbler in front of the plate, allowed another run on an errant pickoff throw. He avoided any further damage with a fly to left.
After the Webster rally in the top of the seventh, Gray took the mound to pitch the eighth but injured himself stepping off the mound after allowing a single to open the frame. He was replaced by Steven Dooley , who pitched a scoreless inning. Unbelievably, Dooley injured himself in warm-ups for the ninth inning, and had to be replaced by Quincy Bergy, who closed out the victory.
Genna was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 SLIAC Baseball Tournament for his efforts, going 5-13 with five RBIs and four runs scored. Kienker, and Zach Schneider and David Mueller were also named to 2011 All-Tournament Team. Kienker was 5-13 also, with three RBIs. Schneider and Mueller pitched complete game wins in the first and second round wins over Westminster College and Fontbonne University.
Webster improved to 31-11 with the win, tying for the second highest number of wins in a single season for the baseball program. The 2010 squad set the record for wins with 35. Coach Bill Kurich and the Gorloks now await word on where the team will be playing, and who they will open with. Webster played in Rock Island, Ill., in the Midwest Regional in 2010.
Courtesy Webster University sports information
