Webster Witin One Win of World Series

Webster University and Concordia-Chicago renewed their rivalry here Friday afternoon in the first game of the best-of-three NCAA Midwest Super Regional at CUC Cougar Field and much like the previous three match-ups this season, Friday's game was another barn burner as the Gorloks scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh en route to posting a 4-3 victory over the top-ranked Cougars. 

With the win, Webster improves to 36-11 and moves within one game of advancing to the 2019 NCAA Division III World Series, which is scheduled for May 31-June 5 at Perfect Game Field at Veteran's Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids. CUC fell to 42-9 overall and must now win two games against the 18th-ranked Gorloks on Saturday to earn its third consecutive trip to the D-III World Series.

The two teams will begin Saturday's second game of the Super Regional at 11 a.m., with the if necessary game to follow 45 minutes after the conclusion of the Saturday's first game. 

"Another good game played by both teams and we were fortunate to come out on top," Webster head coach Bill Kurich said in the post-game press conference following his team's 36th win of the season. "The bunt game came into play very heavily for both sides today."

Entering Friday's game, CUC and Webster had combined to score a total of nine runs in three games this season against each other and both pitching staffs had recorded ERA's under 1.20 on the year. The four runs scored by Webster on Friday was one more than the Gorloks had scored against CUC in the first three games this year.

"Every time we play Concordia-Chicago, it's a battle and both sides know it is going to be like that," said Kurich, who improved to 27-22 all-time in the NCAA Tournament as Webster's coach. "We were fortunate to come out on top today, but our job is not done yet and we'll have to play good defense and have timely hitting again tomorrow because this is not done yet."

In Friday's game, both teams combined for 17 hits and left a combined 11 runners on base and on a day when the bunt game played a huge role, it was a double to lead off the bottom of the seventh by sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) that proved to be the biggest hit of the game as Staker's double would turn into the go-ahead and ultimately the winning run of the game for the Gorloks. 

Staker's double was followed in the inning by a bunt single from senior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) that put Staker on third and then junior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) would bring Staker home on his fielder's choice grounder to short that plated Staker with WU's fourth and final run of the game. Strohm's bunt single extended his hit streak to a career-best eight games. 

"I knew I needed to get on base at that time. Concordia (Chicago) had come back and tied the game, so I knew how important the lead-off guy is, especially for our team, since we can do a lot of little things once we get a guy on base," said Staker in the post-game press conference. "I knew getting on base was my main goal and then let the guys get me around to score, which they did."

It appeared early on that Staker's double in the seventh wouldn't be needed as the Gorloks recorded four straight singles, including an RBI single by junior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) to open the bottom of the third against CUC hurler Adam Gregory and then scored back-to-back runs on sacrifice flies off the bats of Staker and Strohm to give the Gorloks an early 3-0 lead. 

"I hope Adam Gregory is okay. I know he is somewhere being checked out and I hope he's doing okay," said the Webster coach about Gregory.

The Gorloks put two runners on base in the fourth innings thanks to a hit batsman and a bunt single by Staker, but Noah Dressler, who relieved Gregory after he left the game due to an injury in his arm after he hit sophomore designated hitter Kellen Quigley (Bolingbrook, Ill..Bolingbrook) with a pitch with one out. Dressler, though, would prevent any of those runs from scoring as he forced Strohm to fly out to center to end the inning.

Staked with a three-run lead, sophomore Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch), who started for the Gorloks in Friday's game, would keep the Cougars in check for the first five innings, until running into the trouble in the top of the sixth. Through five innings, Beaver had allowed just three hits and no runs, while striking out three and walking none.

In the top of the sixth, the Cougars began to show some life on offense as they recorded four straight hits, including two of them being bunt singles and would score a run on a throwing error by Beaver on a bunt by Keegan Tyrell and then added its second run on an RBI single to center by Bryan Vanduser and then scored the third run in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Brody Mariotti. Beaver, though, would prevent any more runs from scoring as he induced the next two CUC hitters to fly out to end the inning. 

"My approach today, like it is for most of my games, is to let my defense work. I'm not trying to do too much up there, not trying to strike everybody out, but I try to get a lot of ground balls, but that didn't really work today. I was getting a lot lo fly balls, but Aron (Hopp), Nate (Tholl) and A.J. (Smith) were there to help me out and I was able to come out on top," Beaver said when asked about his performance after the game. 

After Webster retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh, CUC would put two runners on base with two outs thanks to a double by Mariotti and an intentional walk issued by Beaver to Connor Brandon. The walk to Brandon, which was his first of the game, ended the day for Beaver as the Gorloks brought in closer Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton CC) to get the last four outs. He would strike out Mateo Calle on a 1-2 pitch to end the eighth and then retire the Cougars in order in the ninth to pick up his ninth save of the year.  

Beaver, who improved to 8-3 with the win, tossed 7.2 innings and allowed nine hits and three runs while striking out three and walking one in his 98-pitch outing. The win was Beaver's fifth in the postseason as a Gorlok as he improved to 5-0 in the postseason in his Webster career and has recorded a postseason ERA of 2.13 in his six postseason pitching appearances. 

Dressler (5-2) took the loss for the Cougars as he pitched three innings and allowed three hits and one run while walking two and fanning none in relief of Gregory, who pitched 3.1 innings and allowed five hits and three runs while striking out one and walking none. 

Staker led the Gorloks with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate, while five other Gorloks recorded a hit, including junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) extending his hitting streak to 10 games with his single in the three-run second inning. 

Matt Fauth, who is the No. 9 hitter in the Cougars order, had two of CUC's nine hits. 

STORY COURTESY OF WEBSTER UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION