Regional Championship Sends Gorloks to 2nd Straight Series
MOLINE, Ill. - Winning the Augustana/Central Regional, the
Webster University baseball team is heading to the NCAA III World
Series for a second straight year after defeating Concordia
University Chicago, 7-3, at Moline, Ill., on May 18. Alex
Kazmierski, named the Regional Most Valuable Player, tripled home
the go ahead runs in the Gorloks' four-run eighth inning.
The Gorloks, 12th ranked in the most recent D3baseball.com and ABCA
national polls, entered the regional as the #1 seed but had to win
three straight games after losing a second round contest. Webster
defeated Concordia, 9-2, the previous day, and after the Cougars
beat host Augustana to reach the final, the Gorloks defeated them a
second time for the title, finishing 4-1 at Moline.
Webster won the Millington Regional (TN) in 2012, advancing to the
World Series for the first time in program history. The Gorloks,
the only NCAA III team in Missouri to ever make the World Series,
will be in Appleton, Wis., on May 24 to appear in their second
straight.
The eighth inning rally propelled Webster to the win. The game was
tied heading into the bottom of the eighth after the Cougars had
rallied for two runs in the seventh to make it 3-3. Taylor Stoulp
was hit by a pitch leading off and landed at third after a stolen
base and error. Mike Rainbolt walked and after a Cougar pitching
change, Kazmierski tripled into the right field gap, scoring Stoulp
and Rainbolt.
Charlie Gandolfi, who entered the game as a pinch runner when Jared
Turner was hit on the elbow by a pitch in the sixth, followed with
a single to score Kazmierski. Reaching third after a groundout and
wild pitch, Gandolfi came home on an Ian Foege squeeze bunt to make
it 7-3, Gorloks.
Steven Dooley, who relieved starter Isaac Behme in the sixth, threw
the last two and 2/3 innings, allowing no runs and two hits, while
striking out two. Dooley earned his 10th win, setting a Webster
single season record. He is 10-2 on the year. Behme went six and
1/3 innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and walking one.
Foege, who wound up as the All-Tournament Team catcher, figured in
three of Webster?s four scoring innings. He scored Webster?s first
run in the third, hit a solo homer in the 5th, and squeezed home
Gandolfi for the Gorloks' final run. Foege was two for three, with
two RBIs and
two runs scored.
Joining Foege on the All-Tournament Team was Ryan Hall at short,
Cody Stevenson in the
OF, Corey Lasky in the OF, and Kazmierski at DH.
Kazmierski was seven for 17 in the regional, with a double, triple,
two home runs and nine RBIs. He batted .412 and had a .941 slugging
percentage in earning the Most Valuable Player honors.
Hall batted .500, going eight for 16, with five runs scored, a
double and two RBIs. Stevenson batted .435 and was 10 for 23 with
five doubles, five runs, and two RBIs. Lasky hit .400, finishing
eight for 11, with four RBIs and four stolen bases.
As a team, Webster had four home runs for the regional and batted
.343. The Gorloks are now 36-10 overall, with the 36 wins tying the
school record set in 2012.
Courtesy Webster University sports information
