(Carlinville, Ill.) – The Webster Gorloks got back-to-back strong pitching performances from Eric McKinley and Wes Hilliard and some timely hitting to sweep Blackburn on Monday afternoon in Carlinville, Ill. WU won game one 4-1 and the nightcap 3-1.

    In the opener the Gorloks (14-10, 10-2 SLIAC) jumped on top with a two run first inning courtesy of a solo home run from Dave Umfleet and a RBI single to center off the bat of Craig Schaefer. The Beavers (9-19, 7-6 SLIAC) got one of those runs back with homer to lead off the bottom of the first inning and got a single two batters later but from that point McKinley held their bats in check allowing only one hit over his next five innings of work. Webster got him some insurance with a pair of runs in the sixth on a two out two run triple to center field from Umfleet then McKinley and Greg Bade made it hold up getting out of runners on first and second jams in the sixth and seventh innings preserving the win.

    McKinley went the first six allowing a run on three hits with four walks and eight Ks to improve his mark to 2-3. Bade pitched a scoreless a seventh to earn his second save of the season. Umfleet had two of WU’s eight hits in the game including three RBI.

    Hilliard followed McKinley’s performance in the second game allowing an unearned run on three hits with 10 punch outs against one free pass in pitching a complete game and earning his third straight decision improving to 3-1 on the year. At one point he retired 10 straight hitters including four by strikeout. The Gorloks tallied single runs in the first, fourth and fifth innings in support of their hurler and got two hits apiece from Alex Raetzloff, Andrew Fuiten, Dakota Huey and Nathan Shelton to earn the victory.

    Webster returns to action tomorrow night hosting a conference doubleheader vs. Westminster starting at 5 p.m., at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill.