Fighting off the elements and a sluggish offense, the Webster University men's baseball overcame a 3-0 deficit with a nine-run outburst in two innings to defeat Greenville College (IL), 9-3, for the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 2011 Tournament Crown. The Gorloks will be making their sixth trip to the NCAA III Championships in the past seven seasons with the win at Glik Park in Highland, IL, on May 14.
Webster turned seven hits and four walks in the seventh and eighth innings into a 9-3 lead, after reaching Greenville starter Daniel Covert for just three hits through six innings, The Gorloks had three straight singles and scored a run to open the seventh inning, With two outs and runners at second and third, Greenville elected to walk Anthony Genna (SR, Lyons Townships HS, IL) to load the bases. A walk to Tom Henke (JR, Forest Park CC) forced in one run and a wild pitch tied the score. A two-run single by Paul Kienker (SR, St. John Vianney HS) gave Webster its first lead, 5-3, of the evening.
A four-run eighth, keyed by a two-run double by Genna, gave the Gorloks their 9-3 lead. After a two-hour rain delay to start the game, the teams battled a 15-20 mile wind, and blowing mist and rain throughout the contest. With the wind blowing in from the outfield, manufactured runs were the norm for the game.
Dylan Dean Smith (FR, Edwards County HS, IL) and Covert battled on the mound through six innings, with only Smith allowing a run, in the first, on a pair of walks and a double by Covert. Smith got into a jam in the seventh by loading the bases with one out. Jason Gray (JR, North Central CC, MO) relieved Smith and forced in a run with a hit batsman, and after a nifty forceout at home on a dribbler in front of the plate, allowed another run on an errant pickoff throw. He avoided any further damage with a fly to left.
After the Webster rally in the top of the seventh, Gray took the mound to pitch the eighth but injured himself stepping off the mound after allowing a single to open the frame. He was replaced by Steven Dooley (SO, Florissant Valley CC), who pitched a scoreless inning. Unbelievably, Dooley injured himself in warm-ups for the ninth inning, and had to be replaced by Quincy Berg (FR, Wilmot HS, WI), who closed out the victory.
Genna was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 SLIAC Baseball Tournament for his efforts, going 5-13 with five RBIs and four runs scored. Kienker, and Zach Schneider (FR, Warren Township HS, IL) and David Mueller (JR, Westminster Christian Academy) were also named to 2011 All-Tournament Team. Kienker was 5-13 also, with three RBIs. Schneider and Mueller pitched complete game wins in the first and second round wins over Westminster College and Fontbonne University.
Webster improved to 31-11 with the win, tying for the second highest number of wins in a single season for the baseball program. The 2010 squad set the record for wins with 35 that season. The Gorloks received word the following day they would be heading to the NCAA South Region to take on #1-ranked Christopher Newport University (VA) in first-round action on May 18, in Millington, TN.
