Record Amount of Runs in SLIAC Baseball Semifinals

Prior to today in the history of the SLIAC Baseball Tournament, only once had a team scored 20 runs; on Thursday that feat was accomplished twice. Besides Webster and Spalding tonight, the only other time was in 2010 by Fontbonne University. 

Semifinal Round - #1 Webster University defeated #6 Eureka College, 20-1
The top-seeded Gorloks put up runs in all but one inning of their win over Eureka, twice scoring five runs in one frame. After setting down the Red Devils in order to start the game the Gorloks put their first two batters on base with back-to-back singles. Nathaniel Martinez drove in the game's first run which was followed by an RBI single from Ben Swords and a three-run home run from Charlie Burton. Down 7-0, the Red Devils were able to push a run across in the 3rd inning when Mike Dunne hit an RBI double the gap that scored Chase Ulrich. But the Red Devils managed just two hits in the final six frames while the Gorloks pounded out 24 hits and scored in every inning afterward. R.J. LaRocco and Martinez led Webster with three hits each while Deven Shulstad picked up his 6th win of the season. 

Semifinal Round - #2 Spalding University defeated #4 Westminster College, 20-0
Just hours later Spalding would put their name in the record books as well, scoring 20 runs in a shutout win over Westminster. The Golden Eagles out-hit Westminster 20-5 in the game with three home runs from the Golden Eagles. Jacob Spanyer got the scoring started with an RBI double and would later score on an RBI double of their own from Hunter Strong. That wouldn't be the last big hit of the game from Strong as he deposited a ball over the fence in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Spanyer would answer with his own two-run home run in the next frame and Nick Salas would get in on the long ball attack with his own two-run shot in the 7th. Michael Newsom, Matthew McDowell, Strong, and Spanyer each had four hits in the game. Caden Krystofiak picked up the win, going 3 innings and allowing just two hits with five different Golden Eagles notching at least one inning of work.

What's Next
Webster and Spalding, who have met in the SLIAC Baseball Championship game in each of the last years, will face each other at 2:30 p.m. in the winner's bracket game with the winner getting the edge and head into Saturday's championship round. Eureka and Westminster will meet in Friday's first game at 11 a.m. with the winner facing the loser Webster and Spalding at 5 p.m.

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