(St. Louis, Mo.) – The Webster Gorloks won its 11th straight game with a doubleheader sweep of Blackburn 7-6 in nine innings in the opener and 9-0 in the nightcap on Wednesday at Blackburn Park in Webster Groves. With the wins Webster clinched at least a share of the SLIAC title with two regular season games to play.

    In the opener the Gorloks (20-10, 11-1 SLIAC) got on the board first on Kelsey Washam’s 10th home run of the year in the fourth inning for a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless fifth the Beavers (10-11, 7-5 SLIAC) got to WU’s starter scoring four runs on four hits to take a 4-1 advantage but Webster battled back in the bottom of the inning getting within 4-3 on Dana Vahey’s two run blast to left field then tied the game when Washam scored from third on a passed ball by the catcher. They had the opportunity to take the lead but stranded a runner at third ending the inning.

    The Gorloks had another chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh with runners at the corner and nobody out but a pair of strikeouts and a lineout to short sent the game to extra innings.
Blackburn scored two runs in the eighth without the benefit of a hit to regain a 6-4 lead but once again WU refused to go away tying the game in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from Washam and another passed ball brought Washam home from third with the tying run. They again had a chance to win the game but stranded runners at the corners to send the game into the ninth.

    After a 1-2-3 top half of the inning the Gorloks got the winner in the bottom of the inning when Maria Hibbard bunted the ball back to the pitcher and she threw the ball down the right field line allowing Mandy VanVelkingburgh to cross home plate with the winning run.

    Megan Sperry pitched 7.1 innings to win her sixth straight contest and improve to 10-4 on the year. Washam and Hibbard had six of Webster’s eight hits in the contest.

    In the nightcap it was all Gorloks scoring twice in the fourth, three in the sixth and then put a four spot on the board in the seventh. They had 14 hits in the contest led by Vahey and Nancy LaRose with three each. Washam, Erynn Coit and Gina Trapani chipped in with two hits apiece. Vahey drove home four runs including three on her eighth home run of the year in the seventh inning.

    Trapani pitched the complete game shut out allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out four to improve to 10-2.

    WU has a chance to clinch the SLIAC title outright on Friday afternoon at Maryville University beginning at 4 p.m.