The Webster University baseball team split a pair of non-conference games, losing 6-1 to Wartburg College (IA) and beating Concordia University-Chicago, 6-5, in 10 innings on March 26 at GCS Ballpark.  One big blow by Wartburg cost Webster in the opener, but a walk off hit by Conner Wardlaw capped a 10th inning come from behind rally in the day's finale.

In the opener vs. Wartburg, Webster took a 1-0 lead in the first.  Wardlaw (JR, Arnold, MO/Jefferson College) singled and Kyle Uhrich (SR, St. Louis,MO/Webster Groves) singled with one down, sending Wardlaw to third.  He would score on a ground out by Ben Dinter (JR, Gurnee, IL/College of Lake County).

Webster starter C.J. Lee (JR, Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) went 3 2/3 innings for the Gorloks.  He got touched for a run in the fourth, and with the bases loaded, Matt Mulhearn (FR, Chicago Heights, IL/Marion Catholic) relieved and got the last out of the inning.  Mulhearn set down the side in the fifth and sixth but got into a jam in the seventh.

Mulhearn gave the Knights two free passes to start the inning.  After a sac bunt moved the runners over, Mulhearn issued another walk and Noah Stern (FR, Highland Park, IL/Highland Park), making his collegiate debut, walked in the go ahead run.  Brandon Smith (SR, Imperial, MO/Seckman) was called to the mound from center field.  He was greeted with a grand slam and Wartburg had a 6-1 lead.

The Gorloks could muster no more offense over their final three at bats as Mulhearn took the loss to fall to 0-2.  Webster wound up with six hits in the contest with Wardlaw going 2-4, with a run scored.  Eric Outlaw (FR, Park Ridge, IL/Maine West) was 1-2 with two walks, and Dakotas DeFreitas (JR, Brechin, Ontario/John Wood CC) was 1-2 with a walk.

Against Concordia University, Webster took a 3-0 lead in the second.  Jake Milosch (SO, St. Charles, IL/St. Charles East) walked to lead off.  Joe Swanson (FR, Park Ridge, IL/Maine West) singled and a bunt sac by DeFreitas moved the runners over.  Matt Wollnik (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley) loaded the bases on a HBP.  Wardlaw singled home Milosch, and Outlaw and Tholl both had RBI walks, scoring Swanson and Wollnik to make it 3-0.

Wardlaw was hit by a pitch to lead off the Wester sixth, and took second on a ground out.  Nate Tholl (JR, Tinley Ridge, IL/John A Logan CC) singled up the middle to score Wardlaw and make it a 4-0 game.

Webster pitcher Johnny Lord (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley), getting his second start of the season, went six scoreless innings before getting into a jam in the seventh.  After allowing a one-out single, he allowed a hit down the right field line that was booted, with the runner at first coming all the way around to score.  But the batter was thrown out trying to take third and it looked like Lord would escape with minimal damage.  But he walked the next batter and, on a full-count to the next, gave up a two-run homer to cut the lead to 4-3.

Lord's day was done and Smith was called in from the bullpen.  Smith promptly hit the first batter he saw and gave up a double over the center fielder's head and the game was tied.  Smith got the last out on a ground out.  Uhrich took over on the mound in the eighth and had a walk sandwiched between three strikeouts.  Uhrich struck out the lead off batter in the ninth, but after hitting a batter got out of the inning with a line out to short to second double play.

Brett Jungles (SR, Naperville, IL/St. Francis) relieved in the 10th.  A Gorlok error allowed the leadoff hitter for the Cougars to reach second and after the next batter reached on a sac bunt, Jungles hit the next batter to load the bases.  He got an infield fly for one out, but the next batter hit a sac fly to center and Concordia had a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 10th. 

Uhrich led off Webster's 10th with a triple into the left center gap.  Adam Naliwajko (JR, Mt. Prospect, IL/St. Viator) pinch hit and walked, and David Williams (JR, St. Louis, MO/Ritenour) pinch ran for Naliwajko.  Swanson singled into right field, with Uhrich scoring and Williams taking second.  Lee pinch-ran for Williams.  Zach Bishop (JR, Marshall, MO/Marshall) went down swinging, and Wollnik grounded out to first unassisted, moving the runners to second and third.  Wardlaw lofted a deep fly that just eluded the right fielder and bounced over the wall for a walk-off single, scoring Lee for the 6-5 final.

Jungles picked up the win and is 1-1 on the season.  He went one inning, allowing one walk and an unearned run.  Uhrich went two innings and had four strikeouts, walking two and allowing no runs.  Wardlaw was 3-4 with two RBIs and run scored.  Tholl was 1-3 with two RBIs and two walks, and Swanson was 2-5 with an RBI.

Webster is now 11-7 overall on the season with the split.  The Gorloks continue play in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference when they travel to Jacksonville, IL, on April 1 to play MacMurray College (IL).