WHITEWATER, Wis. - Webster University remained undefeated in the NCAA Whitewater Regional play here Saturday afternoon as the No. 1 seeded Gorloks used a six run fourth inning, strong pitching from sophomore Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) and then survived a late game rally by 12th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to post a 7-5 victory over No. 2 seeded Warhawks at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium to advance to the championship game of the double-elimination tournament.

With the victory, 18th-ranked Webster runs its win streak to eight consecutive games and improves its record to 34-10 overall and 2-0 in the Whitewater Regional, while UWW fell to 35-11 and faced No. 3 seeded North Central (Ill.) College in an elimination game on Saturday night to determine who will face the Gorloks in Sunday's championship game. North Central (Ill.) remained alive in the tournament by picking up an 11-4 win over No. 4 seeded Bethany Lutheran in an elimination game in Saturday's first game. 

Webster's victory over UWW in the winner's bracket was keyed by a six run fourth inning and eight strong innings on the mound by Beaver, who has become Webster's Mr. Postseason the past two years as he is now 4-0 in the postseason in his Webster career and has recorded a postseason ERA of 2.06. Last season, Beaver picked up wins in the postseason over Greenville University in the championship game of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament and then kept the Gorloks alive in last year's NCAA Central Regional with a nine inning complete game against Monmouth (Ill.) and this season, he pitched Webster into the championship game of the SLIAC Tournament with a complete game performance against Spalding, before allowing five runs and pitching into the ninth inning of Saturday's game against UWW.

In the postseason as a Gorlok, Beaver has made five appearances and four starts on the mound. He has tossed 35 innings and in those 35 innings, has allowed 35 hits, nine runs (eight earned runs), while walking just five and striking out 24, including recording nine strikeouts in the SLIAC Tournament this season against Spalding. 

The Warhawks appeared poised to get out in front early in the Saturday's game as they used two singles to put runners on and first and third with one out against Beaver, before Beaver righted the ship and forced Mike Aiello to line out to senior Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) at second and then got Noah Jensen to fly out to center to end the inning.

In the bottom of the first, junior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) led off with a ground-rule double to center, moved to third on a  groundout by senior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) and scored on an RBI single up the middle by sophomore third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) off of UWW starting pitcher Michael Kaska. Kaska would eventually load the bases in the inning thanks to fielder's choice by junior leftfielder A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) and back-to-back two-out walks issued to junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) and sophomore designated hitter Kellen Quigley (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook), but would get out of the jam  by forcing junior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) to ground out. 

UWW would answer right back in the top of the second on a 2-out solo homer over the fence in right by Alex Doud off of Beaver to tie the game. 

The game would remain tied until the bottom of the fourth as the Gorloks sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored six runs on six hits to take a 7-1 lead. Quigley led off the inning by being hit by a pitch and then back-to-back singles by Swanson and sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) loaded the bases, Strohm then followed with a 2-run single down the left field to make it 3-1. After Kaska got two straight outs, Swords delivered a 2-run single to center to make the score, 5-1. Smith then followed with a single to chase Kaska from the game and Kent would then hit an RBI double to left center off of Connor Spear to give the Gorloks a 6-1 lead and Spear would bring home the final run of the inning on a wild pitch. 

UWW would pull within 7-3 in the top of the seventh as they used three hits, including a 2-run single by Nick Schrader to left center to plate two runs off of Beaver to drop WU's lead to four runs. 

In the eighth, Webster put two runners on base with one out thanks to an infield single by Tholl and Swords getting hit by a pitch from Hayden Fox, who relieved Evan Sigmund to open the inning. Fox, though, would get out of the jam by inducing Smith to hit into a double 5-3 double play.

Beaver headed out to the mound to open the ninth looking for his second consecutive complete game, but he ran into trouble as Matt Korman led off the inning with a homer over the fence in left center and then Doud followed with a double to left center. Doud's double ended Beaver's day and brought senior Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton CC) into the game from the bullpen. Santiago, though, recorded two straight balks that scored Doud to pull the Warhawks within two at 7-5. After the two balks, Santiago would then hit Connor Schneider with a pitch, but Schneider would then be erased as he caught stealing for the first out of the inning. Santiago then would hit Nick Santoro with a pitch and after striking out Schrader looking on a 3-2 pitch for the second out, Cal Aldridge hit a single down the right field line that put runners on first and third and then Santiago closed out the game by striking out Aiello to post the win and earn his eighth save of the season.

Beaver (7-3) tossed eight-plus innings and allowed 11 hits and five runs, while walking two and striking out four in his 107-pitch outing. Santiago would pitch one inning and allowed one hit and no runs, while striking out two to record the save. The eighth save ties the school's single season mark for saves with junior Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), who had eight saves as a sophomore in 2018.

Kaska (6-4) took the loss for the Warhawks as he pitched 3.2 innings and allowed eight hits and seven runs, while walking two and fanning one. 

Webster's offense finished Saturday's game with 13 hits, including Smith going 3-for-5 at the plate. In addition to Smith's three hits, Swords, Swanson and Staker each had two hits in the win. Swords and Strohm combined for 5 RBI as Swords had three and Strohm added two. 

In the game, eight of WU's nine starters recorded at least one hit and seven of WU's nine starters scored a run. 

UWW, who recorded 12 hits in the game, was paced by a 3-for-4 effort at the plate by Doud, while Korman, Schrader and Aldridge each had two hits. 

For the game, both teams left a combined 17 runners on bases as Webster stranded nine and UWW left eight on base. Both teams also turned a double play in the contest.

Webster will look to make it nine straight wins on Sunday, May 19 as they face the North Central (Ill.) College at 12 p.m. in the championship game. NCC earned its spot in the title game with a 13-4 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater in Saturday's elimination round game. Since Webster is undefeated, the Gorloks must be defeated twice on Sunday. The winner of the Whitewater Regional will advance to next weekend's Super Regional round against the winner of the Chicago, Ill., Regional being hosted this weekend by Concordia-Chicago.