Gorloks Captures 16th Straight SLIAC Title
The Webster University baseball team was back in action yesterday when they traveled to Greenville, Illinois, to take on the Greenville (Ill.) University Panthers for the final two games of the regular season. The Gorloks swept the doubleheader as they won the first game by a final score of 14-2 (7 inn.) and the second game by a final score of 11-3 to finish the regular season with a 28-12 overall record and an 18-3 mark in the conference. Greenville's regular season ends with an 18-20 overall record and an 11-10 record in the SLIAC.
Yesterday's sweep solidifies the Webster University baseball team's 16th straight SLIAC Regular Season Title. The team has captured the athletic department's 103rd overall SLIAC Championship and will be the top seed in the SLIAC Baseball Tournament next week.
In the first game of the day, the Gorloks got off to a fast start as R.J. LaRocco hit his sixth home run of the season in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Panthers would answer back with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but a three-run blast from Mitch Daniels (2) in the top of the second gave Webster a 4-1 lead. Webster would add a run in the top of the fourth and two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 7-1 lead in the game. Nathaniel Martinez would extend the Webster lead to 9-1 in the top of the sixth after hitting his eighth home run of the season, but a second run from the Panthers in the bottom half of the inning would cut the lead to 9-2. The Gorloks would add five more runs in the top of the seventh, including a grand slam from Nathaniel Martinez (9), and close out the Panthers in the bottom of the frame to solidify their 11th straight win.
Ben Kowalski (3-3) was the starting pitcher in this one as he allowed just three hits while striking out six in 5.0 innings pitched. Caleb Zbrozek pitched in relief as he allowed three hits and one earned run in the final 2.0 innings of the game.
Webster rallied for 12 hits in the game. Nathaniel Martinez led the way as he went 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI. Ben Swords also had a nice game at the plate as he went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. In addition, R.J. LaRocco went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, Mitch Daniels went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run, and Matt Staker went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Evan Evola, Malik Wirges, and Charlie Burton each added an RBI.
Webster got off to another great start in the second game of the day as they scored a run in the top of the second to take an early lead. The Panthers answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, but back-to-back home runs from R.J. LaRocco (7) and Parker Wielt (9) in the top of the third gave Webster a 3-2 lead. The Panthers would tie the score in the bottom of the third, but six runs in the top of the seventh and two runs in the top of the ninth would solidify the Gorloks' 12th straight win.
Deven Shulstad was the starting pitcher in this one as he allowed six hits and three earned runs in the first 2.1 innings of the game. Alek Elges (7-2) and Joel Arsenault pitched in relief as the two combined to allow just three hits while striking out eight in the final 6.2 innings of the game.
Webster finished with 11 hits in the game. Parker Wielt led the way for Webster as he went 3-for-5 with two homeruns (9) and four RBI. Malik Wirges and R.J. LaRocco also played well as Wirges went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run (4) and LaRocco went 1-for-5 with a solo home run (7). In addition, Ben Swords went 2-for-5 with an RBI, Matt Staker went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Evan Evola went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and Zach Goodman added an RBI.
The Gorloks have earned the top seed, and a first-round bye, in the SLIAC Baseball Tournament. They will play their first postseason game on Thursday, May 11th against the lowest remaining seed at CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Missouri, starting at 2 p.m.
STORY COURTESY OF WEBSTER UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
