Box Score The #18 ranked Webster University baseball team saw a ninth-inning lead evaporate, then lost in 11 innings to #14 College of New Jersey, 3-1, on March 16 in Auburndale, FL. The Gorloks allowed the tying run on a rare occurrence in the ninth, and a Webster error in the 11th led to the Lions scoring the game-winner.
With a 1-0 lead, Kyle Uhrich (SR, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves) was called on to close out the ninth. Uhrich struck out the first two batters, but gave up a single and walk. Uhrich balked on a 3-1 count to the next batter, moving the runners up to second and third, before walking the bases loaded. On an extremely rare call, the next Lions batter was awarded first base on catcher's interference, sending the tying run home.
New Jersey had a one out hit off Matt Mulhearn (FR, Chicago Heights, IL/Marion Catholic) in the 11th and with two down, a Gorlok error put runners at first and third. Brandon Smith (SR, Imperial, MO/Seckman), who had relieved in the eighth and then moved to right field, returned to the mound. With a one and one count, a wild pitch scored the go-ahead run for the Lions. After that batter walked, a single scored an insurance run for New Jersey. Smith was relieved a second time, as Brett Jungles (SR, Naperville, IL/St. Francis) entered the contest. Jungles got a ground out to end the inning.
The Gorloks went down in order in their half of the 11th as they saw their chance to beat a ranked team for a second straight outing disappear. The Lions retired the last nine Gorloks batters in the game.
Webster scored its lone run in the first. Jake Milosch (SO, St. Charles, IL/St. Charles East) walked and Matt Wollnik (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley) forced him out at second. Adam Naliwajko (JR, Mt. Prospect, IL/St. Viator) walked and Eric Outlaw (FR, Park Ridge, IL/Maine West) followed with a single to score Wollnike to give Webster a 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Webster starter Josh Fleming (JR, Columbia, IL/Columbia) rolled along, scattering five hits. Fleming had a hiccup in the seventh when the Lions had a runner reach on an error with one out, and the next batter walked. Fleming got a groundout and fly out to escape the jam. He wound up going seven scoreless innings, giving up five hits and two walks, while striking out nine.
Smith, making his seventh appearance of the season, took over in the eighth. Smith gave up a lead off walk, and the Lions sacrificed him to second. Smith struck out the next batter for the second out but he walked the next batter. He got out of the jam when the runner at second was picked off.
The Gorloks went down in order in their half of the ninth, sending the game into extra-innings. Mulhearn took over on the mound in the 10th and set the Lions down 1-2-3. Webster went down 1-2-3 also, all on strikeouts, in the tenth as well. Mulhearn would wind up taking the loss after being relieved in the 11th..
Fleming has a 0.64 ERA in 28 innings on the year. He has given up just 15 hits and eight walks, while striking out 35. Uhrich went one inning, gave up two walks, a single and the one unearned run, and struck out two.
Outlaw was 2-4 with the lone RBI for the Gorloks.
Webster, ranked 18th in the latest ABCA poll, is 8-4 overall on the season and 3-2 in Florida. The College of New Jersey, ranked 14th, is a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference and improves to 6-1. The Lions were 32-12 in 2016 and finished the year ranked #14.
The Gorloks take on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Auburndale, on March 17.
