Box Score The Webster University baseball team was eliminated from the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament, losing 7-6 to Westminster College, on May 9, in Greenville, IL. The Gorloks came from behind once, to take a 6-4 lead in the fifth, but couldn't overcome a three-run eighth inning by the Blue Jays.
The loss breaks a string of five straight SLIAC tournament wins for Webster and an automatic qualification for the NCAA III Championships. The Gorloks' fate will be left up to the NCAA III baseball selection committee as to whether Webster gets an 'at-large' bid. Webster has advanced to the NCAA III Championships nine of the past 10 years.
In the fateful eighth inning, the Blue Jays reached reliever Trey Tigart (SO, Sikeston, MO/Sikeston HS) for two singles, but two Gorlok errors behind him as well allowed two Westminster runs. Dylan Dean Smith (SR, Albion, IL/Edwards County HS) was summoned from the pen, with Smith giving up an RBI single before getting the final out. The three runs staked Westminster to a 7-6 lead.
Webster went in order in the eighth, and had a one-out single in the ninth by Alec Bahnick (SO, Owensboro, KY/Owensboro Catholic HS), but could do no further damage.
Starter C. J. Lee (SO, Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley HS) was staked to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Jeff Kammer (SR, Chesterfield, MO/Lafayette HS) singled and scored on a Dylan Rajkovich (JR, Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg HS) single and Blue Jay error. Rajkovich came home on a wild pitch for the Gorloks' second run.
Westminster scored a single run in the third and had a three-run fourth, aided by a Gorlok error with two out, to take a 4-2 lead.
Webster roared back in its half of the fourth. Kammer doubled to lead off and with one out, Adam Naliwajko (SO, Mt. Prospect, IL/St. Viator HS) doubled him home. Matt Wollnik (SO, Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley HS) singled and Charlie Gandolfi (SR, Mundelein, IL/Mundelein HS) walked to load the basses.
Mike Golich (FR, Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) singled to score Naliwajko, and a Bahnick sacrifice fly plated Wollnik to give Webster a 5-4 lead.
The Gorloks added another run in the fifth when Blake Thomas (JR, Troy, IL/Triad HS) was hit by a pitch, Kyle Uhrich (SO, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves HS) doubled, and Kammer walked to load the bases. On a fly to right by Rajkovich, Thomas was gunned down at the plate but an error by the Blue Jay allowed Uhrich to scamper home to give Webster a 6-4 lead.
Lee gave way to Tigart in the sixth with two down, loading the bases after giving up a single and two walks, with Tigart recording the final out. After Webster went down in its half of the sixth, the rains came for a second straight day, forcing a three-plus hour delay in the contest. When play resumed, a scoreless seventh followed before Westminster struck with the three-run eighth.
Lee went five and two-thirds innings, giving up three earned runs, eight hits and two walks, and striking out five. Tigert went two innings, giving up two hits and three runs, but just one earned, while walking two and striking out two. He took the loss for the Gorloks. Smith went one and a third inning scoreless innings, lowering his season earned run average to 0.77.
Kammer was 2-3, with a double, walk, and two runs scored, and Bahnick was 2-3 with an RBI. Golich was 2-5 with an RBI. Kammer is batting .394 and Golich is batting .387 on the season.
Kammer and teammate, freshman Josh Fleming (Columbia, IL/Columbia HS) were named to the 2015 SLIAC Baseball All-Tournament Team.
Webster, ranked #22 nationally and the #1 team in the Central Region entering the tournament, will now await its fate in regards to the NCAA III Championships. The Gorloks are 30-13 on the season.
