Box Score Pitcher's sometimes have long waits between delays, with the length deciding whether they will return to the mound. In Matt Goro's case, a 13-day 'rain delay' didn't deter his returning to the mound as the Webster University baseball team defeated Greenville College (IL), 10-5, on April 21 at GCS Ballpark. The game was the completion of a postponement from an April 8 contest that was halted by rain and lightning.
The #27 ranked Gorloks led, 6-2, coming to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning. With plenty of rest for his arm and another start in between, Goro (SO, Wildwood, MO/Lafayette HS) took the mound to complete what he started. Goro would go three more innings to pick up his fourth win, giving him a clean 4-0 slate on the season. Johnny Lord (SO, Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) and Kyle Uhrich (SO, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves HS) would bail Goro out of an eighth inning jam, with the bases loaded and none out.
With one run already in, Lord proceeded to strike out the first batter looking and the second batter swinging. The Gorloks called in Uhrich from first base to get the third out and after walking in a run, Uhrich struck out the next Panther for the final out for a Webster 9-5 lead. Uhrich would strike out the side in the ninth for his second save of the season.
Webster had taken a 6-0 lead in the first inning. Mike Golich (FR, Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) led off with a bunt single, but was caught stealing. Alec Bahnick (SO, Owensboro, KY/Owensboro Catholic HS) walked and Blake Thomas (JR, Troy, IL/Triad HS) doubled. Kyle Uhrich (SO, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves HS) had an RBi single and Jeff Kammer (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Lafayette HS) doubled in two more runs to make it 3-0.
Dylan Rajkovich (JR, Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg HS) had a bunt single and Matt Wollnik (SO, Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) followed with a two-run single. Zach Allam (JR, Bloomington, IN/Bloomington HS) walked and Golich drove him in with a single for a 6-0 lead.
The Gorloks had a single run in the fourth when Rajkovich was hit by a pitch as the game resumed. He would score on a double by Charlie Gandolfi (SR, Mundelein, IL/Mundelein HS) to give Webster a 7-2 lead. In the Webster fifth, Wollnik had a leadoff double and advanced to third on sac bunt by Fecske. Golich reached on a fielder's choice, on a sacrifice bunt, as Wollnik scored. Golich stole second and scored on a single by Thomas to extend the Webster lead to 9-2. After the Panthers closed the gap to 9-5 in the eighth, Rajkovich would double home the Gorloks' 10th run in their half of the eighth.
Goro wound up going seven innings, giving up 13 hits and five run, no walks, and striking out six. Lord went 2/3 of an inning with two strikeouts, and Uhrich went 1 1/3 innings, with one walk, four strikeouts, and the save.
Webster finished with 17 hits. The team entered the contest with a .315 average. Golich was 2-4 with two RBIs, and Kammer 2-5 with two RBIs, two runs, and a double. Thomas was 3-4, with a double, an RBI and run, Gandolfi was 2-4, with two doubles and an RBI, and Uhrich was 2-5, with an RBI.
Webster has won 11 in a row in the SLIAC and is 13-3 in conference and 24-9 overall. The Gorloks travel to Normal, IL, on April 22 to face Illinois State University, an NCAA I member of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Gorloks will be back at GCS Ballpark on April 25-26 as they host Eureka College (IL) for a weekend series.
