The Webster University baseball team came up on the short end of a slugfest as it fell, 17-15, to host Greenville College in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, on May 13 in Greenville, IL. Despite two home runs, including a grand slam, by Kyle Uhrich and a 17-hit offensive barrage, the Gorloks were eliminated from the tournament as the Panthers banged out 16 hits of their own including two grand slams.
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Webster, who trailed 10-1 early in the contest and came back to take a 13-10 lead, now awaits word whether it will receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA III Championships. The Gorloks entered the tournament ranked third in the NCAA III Central Region. Greenville had entered the tournament ranked sixth in the Region. Greenville will now play Westminster College in the championship round, needing to beat the Blue Jays twice for the title. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA III Championships.
Both teams combined for 33 hits, seven walks, seven hit batters, 32 runs, six home runs, and three grand slams in the contest as both pitching staffs, throwing a third game in just over a day, were worn down. Greenville pulled out to a 10-1 lead thanks to a seven-run third, but five and six-run innings, with a one run inning sandwiched between, gave Webster a 13-10 lead. The Panthers had one more big inning left in them as they scored five in the seventh for a 15-13 lead. Despite a relentless Gorlok attack, Greenville held on with its closer, Klaiton Wolff, making a seven-out save for his eighth of the season.
Greenville started the scoring in the second, after loading the bases with one down off Webster starter Johnny Lord (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley). Lord walked in one run and Matt Mulhearn (FR, Chicago Heights, IL/Marion Catholic) was summoned from the bullpen. A force out at second scored a second run, and a single into center plated another as the Panthers led, 3-0.
The Gorloks got a run back in their half of the second when Ben Dinter (JR, Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) walked, took second on a balk, and took third as Eric Outlaw (FR, Park Ridge, IL/Maine West) reached on an E5. Adam Naliwajko (SR, Mt. Prospect, IL/St. Viator) hit a sacrifice fly to score Dinter.
The Panthers put a seven-spot on the Gorloks in the third. A leadoff double and error by Mulhearn put a runner on third, and he scored on a sac fly. After a walk and a single, Mulhearn gave way to Matt Goro (SR, Wildwood, MO/Lafayette). Goro gave up a double, with one run scoring, then an error by Goro loaded the bases. A hit by pitch scored another run before a grand slam emptied the bases with Greenville leading, 10-1.
Webster got five back in its half of the third. Conner Wardlaw (JR, Arnold, MO/DeSmet Jesuit) was hit by a pitch and, with one out, Kyle Uhrich (SR, St. Louis, MO/Webster Groves) hit his fifth home run of the year to cut the lead to 10-3. Matt Wollnik (SR, Naperville, IL/Nequa Valley) singled and Ben Dinter (JR, Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) followed with his fifth home run to cut the lead to 10-5. Brandon Smith (SR, Imperial, MO/Seckman) was hit by a pitch, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Naliwajklo to make it 10-6.
The Gorloks crept closer in the fourth when Wardlaw and Nate Tholl (SO, Tinley Ridge, IL/St. Laurence) singled, moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Wardlaw scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Wollnik to make it a 10-7 game, as Tholl was thrown out at third trying to take third.
Webster took the lead in the fifth, with another five run inning. Outlaw, Smith, and Dinter singled to load the bases with one out Mike Wick (JR, Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) singled home Outlaw and, with two down, Tholl singled in Smith to close within one at 10-9. Uhrich bombed his second home run of the contest, a grand slam, to put Webster on top, 13-10, a stunning 12-0 run by the Gorloks after finding themselves down by nine runs.
Meanwhile, Goro kept Greenville in check with scoreless innings in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings before hitting the first batter in the seventh and giving up two singles. Another single sent one run home and the Panthers second grand slam of the day put them back on top, 15-13. A single and double scored one more as Greenville ended the inning up, 16-13.
Like a boxing match, Webster got back off the mat in the bottom of the seventh and put runners at second and third as Wick singled and Wardlaw doubled. Tholl singled both home to pull back within one at 16-15. In the eighth, Dinter singled to lead off, and after a sacrifice by Outlaw to move him to second, Smith was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up to second and third on a wild pitch, but a pop out and strike out left the tying and go-ahead runs on for Webster.
Smith had taken over on the mound for Goro in the top of the eighth with one down, and got the last two outs, allowing a walk. But he was clipped for a solo home run to start the ninth as Greenville added an insurance run to lead, 17-15. Webster had a leadoff single by Wardlaw in the ninth, but a double play and fly out ended the game as the Gorloks were bounced out of the tournament by the Panthers.
The 17 runs allowed by the Gorloks was the most given up in a game since Concordia University-Chicago scored 18 in a loss in 2010. Goro took the loss and is 2-3 on the year.
Uhrich was 2-5 with two home runs and six RBIs. Uhrich's home runs were the 33rd and 34th of his career, as he increased his all-time high record for Webster. Dinter was 2-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a walk. Tholl was 3-5 with three RBIs and a run scored, and Wardlaw was 3-5 with three runs scored and a double.
Webster is 29-13 overall on the season. Webster won its first round game vs. Spalding in the first round, but fell into the elimination bracket with a loss to defending tournament champion, Westminster College. Greenville, who finished first in the SLIAC East Division, is now 28-15.
