Gorloks Dream for a National Championship Ends
APPLETON, Wis. - The dream for an NCAA DIII National
Championship ended for the Webster University baseball team, as the
Gorloks fell to the University of Southern Maine,
7-2, at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wis., on May 26.
Webster finishes 1-2 and in 5th place for a second straight year in
the World Series.
Webster saw an end to another outstanding season that saw the
Gorloks win a second straight NCAA DIII Regional title, their 8th
NCAA regional appearance in last nine years, and make a second
World Series appearance. The Gorloks also won a 7th straight
SLIAC regular season title, and a 4th straight SLIAC championship,
while winning a program record 37 games.
The Gorloks dodged bullets in the first two innings as Southern
Maine had runners reach in both, only to have a runner in the first
doubled up, and a runner in the second picked off by Webster
starter Cody Hafeli. The Huskies, no strangers to winning
with a 44-9 season record, broke through with two in the third
after a one-out double, and a two-out double and single, to make it
2-0.
Webster tied it up in the bottom of the fifth when Ian Foege and
Ryan Hall singled to
start the inning. Both scored on a wild throw by the Huskie
pitcher on a Cody Stevenson sacrifice bunt attempt. Stevenson
was cut down at second trying to take the extra base.
A three-run sixth was the deciding factor for Southern Maine.
After allowing a leadoff home run, followed by a double and two
walks, Hafeli was relieved by Ryan Martinez. Martinez coaxed
a sac fly for the Huskies second run, but a single brought in a
third. Jason Gray came in and promptly picked off the runner
at second to end the threat.
Southern Maine added single runs in the eighth and ninth before
Webster mounted one last rally in the ninth. With one out,
Mitchell Bonds was hit by a pitch, Foege singled into left, and
Hall singled to left to load the bases. But the Huskies
retired the last two Gorloks, ending the threat and the game.
Hafeli wound up 7-3 on the season, allowing seven hits, three
walks, and five runs in five and a third innings of work.
Hafeli winds up his career at Webster with 16-4 record. Foege
was three for four with a run scored, and Hall was two for four
with a run. Mike Rainbolt finished the game two for four.
Unlike the 2012 Series, the Gorlok bats never got quite
untracked. Webster wound up hitting .260 for the Series as
opposed to a .305 clip by its opponents.
Seniors Colin Bates, Bonds, Steven Dooley, Hafeli, Alex Kazmierski,
Martinez, Rainbolt, and Stevenson, all a big part in the
team’s recent success, played their last game for the
Gorloks.
With the loss, Webster is now 17-17 in NCAA post-season play, 15-13
in Regional play, and 2-4 in World Series play.
Courtesy Webster University sports information