Webster Stays Alive With 11-3 Win Over Adrian

MOLINE, Ill. - With the offense back in gear, the Webster University baseball team kept alive in the NCAA Augustana/Central Regional, with a 11-3 win over Adrian College, on May 17, in Moline, Ill. The Gorloks will play Concordia-Chicago, the only team undefeated in Regional play at 2-0, at 7:00 (May 17). Cody Hafeli got the starting assignment for Webster and threw a complete game for the victory.

The Webster offense started, auspiciously, with its first five batters reaching via hit or walk in the first inning, but with no runs scoring. After having lost a runner on a pick-off and a caught stealing, Mitchell Bonds hit a two-hopper the shortstop couldn't come up with as Cody Stevenson and Corey Lasky both scored to make it 2-0. The Gorloks added another run in the second, as Lasky drove in Ryan Hall to make it 3-0.

Hafeli had his only hiccup in the Adrian fourth, giving up five hits and three runs to the Bulldogs, tying the game at 3-3. Those would be the only runs Adrian would score as Hafeli went nine innings, giving up 12 hits and no walks, and striking out four to improve to 7-2 on the season. The complete game was a big boost for the Gorlok staff, needing innings with a third game in two days to be played now at 7:00 p.m. and a potentially fourth game in three days if Webster is victorious vs. Concordia.

Webster took the lead for good in a five-run sixth inning as seven straight Gorloks reached after one was out. Mike Rainbot singled, Alex Kazmierski singled, and Jared Turner beat out an infield hit to score Rainbolt. A Bonds single scored Kazmierski and Ian Foege walked to load the bases. Hall singled, scoring Turner and Bonds, and after a Stevenson single, Lasky sent Kazmierski home with the fifth run of the inning to make it 8-3.

The Gorloks scored a run in the seventh with Stevenson driving in Hall with a double, and two more in the eighth as Taylor Stoulp led off the inning with a home run and a Bonds groundout drove in Rainbolt, who had singled, for Webster's final run.

Stevenson was four for five with two doubles and an RBI, Hall was three for four with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Rainbolt was three for five with two doubles and three runs scored. Stoulp was two for four, with a home run and two runs scored. The Gorloks had five extra-base hits among their 17 hits for the game.

Webster is now 34-10 on the season and Concordia-Concordia enters the game 38-5 for the year. A win would advance Webster to the Regional championsip game at 3:30 p.m. on May 18.

Courtesy Webster University sports information