Webster Tops #7 Rhodes
The #5 ranked Webster University baseball team won at #7 ranked Rhodes College, 5-4, on February 21 in Memphis, TN. The Gorloks took two out of three games on their weekend trip to Memphis, to open the season at 2-1.
Down 1-0 in the fifth inning, Webster rallied for three runs. Jake Milosch (FR, St. Charles, IL/St. Charles East HS) led off with a solo home run. With one out, Jake Celleghin (SR, Westfield, IN/Westfield HS) and Mike Golich (SO, Aurora, IL/Aurora West HS) had back to back singles. Dylan Rajkovich (SR, Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg HS) then singled, scoring Celleghin, with Golich winding up at third and Rajkovich taking second on error by LF. Kyle Uhrich (JR, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves, reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Golich to give Webster a 3-1 lead.
The Gorloks picked up a single run in the sixth when Zach Bishop (JR, Marshall, MO/Marshall HS) doubled, Matt Wollnik (JR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley HS) sacrificed him to third, and Milosch singled to right field, plating Bishop for a 4-1 lead. The Lynx picked up two in the bottom of the sixth off Webster starter Johnny Lord to make it 4-3.
Lord (JR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley HS) was done after six innings, picking up his first win of the season. He gave up six hits, a walk, and three runs, while striking out five. Zack Pawlowski (SR, Mundelein, IL/Mundelein HS) took over for Lord in the seventh.
Webster added an insurance run in the eighth when Bishop led off with another double, took third on a fly out by Wollnik. Mike Wick (SO, Bartlett, IL/Bartlett HS) pinch ran for Wollnik and scored on an infield single on the right side by Milosch.
Rhodes threatened with one out in the eighth, when Pawlowski gave up a walk and a single, but he was able to induce a groundout double play to end the inning. Singles by Golich and Uhrich gave Webster an opportunity to add a little more insurance in the top of the ninth, but the Gorloks failed to score as well.
Pawlowski gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth, and with one down, gave up another double to make it 5-4. Coach Bill Kurich went to the pen and called on Mitch Stefani (SR, Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley HS) for a third straight game. Stefani retired the only two batters he faced with called third strikes, to kill the Lynx rally, and pick up a save.
Pawlowski went 2 2/3 innings, giving up five hits, one run, while walking one and striking out two.
Milosch wound up 3-4, with three RBIs, a home run, and a run scored. Bishop was 2-4 with two doubles and run scored, and Golich was 2-5 with a run scored.
The Gorloks are home on February 26-28 as they play four games at GCS Ballpark, as they host four teams for the weekend. Nine games will be played in three days, with triple-headers taking place each day.
STORY COURTESY OF WEBSTER UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
