Box Score The Webster University baseball team fell in its home opener, losing to North Central College, 10-3, on March 3 at GCS Ballpark.  The Gorloks picked up an early 2-0 lead, but the Cardinals struck back for six runs in three innings, and put the finishing touch on the win with a four-run seventh.

In the first, Cody Stevenson (SR, Centralia HS, IL) walked to lead off and advanced to third when Corey Lasky (JR, College of Lake County, IL) reached on an error.  Stevenson scored on a sac fly by Ryan Hall (JR, Central Arkansas, MO).  Lasky then scored after stealing second and reaching third on an error, and coming home on a Taylor Stoulp (JR, St. Mary's HS, MO) ground out.
 
North Central tied it at 2-2 in the third with a rally powered by a home run and a triple.  The Cardinals added three more runs in the fourth on a walk and a hit batsman by starter Cody Hafeli (SR, Kankakee CC, IL), and a double.  Brett Buchanan (JR, Willowbrook HS, IL) cut one run off the lead with a lead off homer in the bottom of the fourth.  It was the first round-tripper of the season for the Gorloks.  But the Cardinals got that run back in the top of the fifth, and iced the game with a four-run seventh.

Hafeli went four and two-thirds innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs.  He struck out six and walked only one as his record fell to 1-1.  Kevin Lashley (JR, St. Clair HS, MO) relieved Hafeli and got out of a jam in the fifth, but was nicked for four unearned runs in the seventh.  Lashley allowed two hits in his two innings, no earned runs, two strikeouts and one walk in his GCS debut.  Korie Vire (FR, Georgetown Ridge Farm HS, IL) made his Webster debut, allowing three hits in two and a third innings, striking out two.

Webster is 2-2 overall on the season.  The team is back in action on March 4 at GCS with singles games vs. Buena Vista University (IA) at 10 a.m. and North Park University at 2:00 p.m.