The Webster University softball team improved to 5-1 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Collegiate Conference with a sweep of Iowa Wesleyan University, 3-0 & 9-0, on April 8 at Blackburn Park. Chelsea Thornley threw a shutout in the opener for Webster and Alexis Spriggs followed with a six-inning shutout in the final, as a walk off homer by Kate Sullens ended the contest.
Thornley (6-3) started
game one and had the complete game shut out, allowing just two hits in seven innings. Thornley struck out four while improving to 7-3 on the season.
In the third inning, Chyanne Fulmer (SO, DeSoto, IL/Carbondale) and Sullens (SR, Highland, IL/Highland) had singles to lead off the inning. Katelyn Johnson (SR, Cambridge, IL/Woodstock) singled in Fulmer to make it 1-0.
Webster added two more in the fifth. Karissa Cardenas (SR, Henderson, CO/Prairie View) singled to center and Fulmer sacrifice bunted her over. Sullens singled Cardenas home with a drive into right field. Johnson followed with a walk, and Burroughs reached safely on a fielder's choice, loading the bases. Kayla Day (SR, Caruthers, CA/Caruthers) had a bloop single behind short to score Sullens.
Sullens was 2-3 with an RBI and a run, and Day was 2-3 with an RBI. Johnson was 1-2 with an RBI and walk.
In
game two, after three scoreless innings, the Gorloks opened up a 5-0 lead in the fourth. Sullens and Johnson singled leading off. With two outs, Sidney Coleman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Emily Kolisch had a bloop hit to center to score two and Katlyn Garza followed with a three-run blast over the left center field fence to make it 5-0. It was Garza's third home run of the season.
Abby Burroughs (FR, Edwardsville, IL/Triad) crushed her team-hhigh fifth home run, well over the left field fence, with one down in the fifth. Terri Dearth (JR, Lemont, IL/Mt. Assisi Academy) followed with a triple in the right center field gap. In the sixth, Garza walked, Fulmer singled, and Sullens hit a clout deep over the right field fence for a walk-off three-run homer to end the game at 9-0 on the eight-run rule.
Spriggs (SR, Scott City, MO/Scott City) allowed just two hits and walked none, while throwing the six scoreless innings. She is now 4-3 on the year with the win.
Sullens was 2-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Garza was 1-2 with a home run, three RBIs, walk, and run scored. Burroughs was 1-3 with a home run, RBI, and run scored.
Webster is now 5-1 in the SLIAC and 17-8 overall. Wesleyan falls to 3-3 and 6-12 with the losses.
The Gorloks are right back at Blackburn Park on April 9 to host Eureka College (IL) for a double header. The games are a make up of an earlier postponement.
