The Webster University baseball team made it six in a row, and stayed undefeated in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, with 10-1 & 5-2 wins over Iowa Wesleyan University, on April 9 at GCS Ballpark. The Gorloks had two outstanding starting performances by Josh Fleming and Kyle Uhrich, and Dakota DeFreitas' grand slam in game two led a 20-hit afternoon for the Webster offense.
Fleming (JR, Columbia, IL/Columbia) had a seven-inning complete game win in
the opener. Fleming had a no-hitter and shutout going until giving up a pair of singles for a run in the seventh. It was just his third earned run allowed of the season as he improved to 4-0. Fleming struck out nine and walked none. He has 61 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings and his earned run average 'skyrocketed' to 0.58.
Webster got all the runs they needed in a four-run first. Conner Wardlaw led off with a double and Eric Outlaw walked after Wardlaw swiped third. Uhrich (SR, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves) doubled home Wardlaw. Matt Wollnik (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley) doubled also, scoring Outlaw and Uhrich. Brandon Smith (SR, Imperial, MO/Seckman) singled home Wollnik for a 4-0 lead.
The Gorloks added a run in the second when Uhrich led off with a triple and scored on a single by Wollnik. Webster added five more runs in the sixth. Wardlaw led off with another double, then over the rest of the frame three hit batsmen, a single, walk, and an error led to five run and a 10-0 lead. Fleming would give up the single run in the seventh for the 10-1 final.
Wollnik was 3-4 with four RBIs, a double, and two runs scored. Uhrich was 2-4 with a triple, double, RBI, and two runs scored. Wardlaw was 2-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored.
Uhrich got the call for the start in
game two. He went five innings, giving up one hit and a walk, while striking out six. Uhrich is now 4-0 on the season with 37 strikeouts in 21 innings, and just six hits allowed in those 21 innings.
Webster got all the runs it needed in the second inning with a five-run outburst, highlighted by DeFreitas' (JR, Brechin, Ontario/John Wood CC) grand slam. Wollnik led off with a single, Jake Milosch (SO, St. Charles, IL/St. Charles East) singled, and Ben Dinter (JR, Gurnee, IL/College of Lake County) singled to load em up. DeFreitas bombed a home run off the ad boards on the right field porch. Mike Wick (JR, Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) tripled with one down, and scored on a sac fly by Wardlaw to give Webster a 5-0 lead.
Four Gorlok relievers threw the final four innings. Brett Jungles (SR, Naperville, IL/St. Francis) and Joe Elfrink (SR, Leopold, MO/Leopole) each threw a scoreless inning, with Noah Stern (FR, Highland Park, IL/Highland Park) sandwiched in between, allowing one run. Johnny Lord (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley) went the final two innings, giving up a run in the ninth, but pitching out of a bases-loaded jam to end the contest.
DeFreitas was the hitting star with his grand slam, and Wick wound up 2-3 with a double and triple on the afternoon.
Webster is now 7-0 in the SLIAC and 16-7 overall on the season. The Gorloks host Washington University for a single game on April 12 at GCS Ballpark
