Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 A Matt Goro shutout in the nightcap salvaged a split for the Webster University baseball team in a doubleheader with Concordia University-Chicago on March 30 at GCS Ballpark.  Goro (SO, Wildwood, MO/Lafayette HS) scattered six hits over nine innings in a 1-0 Gorlok win after Webster had dropped the opener, 5-4, in 10 innings.

The start was the first of the season for Goro, who walked two and struck out six.  Goro improved to 3-0 on the season, and lowered his earned run average to 0.78.  After being unable to score on six hits and two walks through six innings, the Gorloks broke through in the seventh.  Zach Allam (JR, Bloomington, IN/Edgewood HS) and Matt Wollnik (SO, Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) led off the inning with singles and were bunted over by Mike Golich (FR, Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS).  Alec Bahnick (SO, Owensboro, KY/Owensboro Catholic HS) walked to load the bases and Allam scored on a groundout by Blake Thomas (JR, Troy, IL/Triad HS). 

That was the only run Webster would need, thanks to Goro shutting the Cougars down, and broke a three-game Gorlok losing streak.  Charlie Gandolfi (SR, Mundelein, IL/Mundelein HS) was 2-4 and Thomas was 1-3, with an RBI.

In game one, Concordia reached starter Josh Fleming (FR, Columbia, IL/Columbia HS) for a run in the first and the score remained 1-0 Concordia until the Gorloks' sixth.  Dylan Rajkovich (JR, Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg HS) walked and Thomas  doubled.  Kyle Uhrich (SO, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves HS) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Gandolfi  and Connor Hogan (SO, New Lenox, IL/Lincoln Way West HS) both had RBI walks to put Webster up, 2-1.

The Cougars tied it up, 2-2, in the seventh when a double and two singles chased Fleming.  Trey Tigart (SO, Sikeston, MO/Sikeston HS) relieved and a caught stealing at third and a groundout to short ended the inning.  Webster would take a 4-2 lead in its half of the seventh.  Rajkovich and Thomas singled, with Uhrich doubling home Rajkovich.  A wild pitch scored Thomas to make it 4-2.

Concordia came right back to tie it up in the top of the eighth.  Tigart walked the lead off batter, and after a strikeout, gave up a two-run homer.  After giving up a pair of singles, Dylan Dean Smith (SR, Albion, IL/Edwards County HS) was summoned to relieve Tigart.  Smith got a fly out and a strikeout to end the threat.

The Cougars had a leadoff single in the 10th off Smith, and after a sac bunt, a Concordia double plated the go-ahead run.  In Webster's 10, Gandolfi walked with one out, but a line drive off the bat off Hogan was snagged by the Cougar pitcher and Gandolfi was doubled off first to end the contest.

Fleming went 6 2/3 innings, giving up eight hits, two runs and a walk, and striking out seven.  Tigart went one inning, allowing three hits and two runs, and Smith went 2 2/3, giving up two hits and a run, and taking the loss.

Thomas was 3-4, with a double, triple, and two runs scored.  Rajkovich was 1-3 with two runs scored.

Concordia. a member of the Northern Athletics Conference, finished 39-7 in 2013 and 2014, losing in the championship of the Whitewater (WI) Regional last season.

Webster is 11-8 overall and makes the short trip down Big Bend Boulevard for a single game at Washington University on March 31.  The Gorloks next home game is on April 3, when they host Westminster College for a single game at 7:00 p.m. at GCS Ballpark.