SAUGET, Ill. - Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) picked the perfect time to hit his first career home run at Webster as the senior rightfielder hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning over the left field wall here Sunday afternoon to give the Gorloks a 5-4 win over sixth-ranked Concordia (Chicago) in the 2018 season opener for both teams at GSC Credit Union Ballpark.

Tholl's homer made a winner out of Gorlok sophomore hurler Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), who pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn his first collegiate victory. Donovan was the third pitcher of the game for the Gorloks as senior C.J. Lee (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) started and pitched into the sixth inning, while freshman Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) faced two hitters and failed to record an out.

The game winner homer by Tholl was needed after the Cougars, who advanced to the NCAA Division III World Series last season, scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning thanks to a single, three walks, a hit batsman and a wild pitch to tie the game at 4.

Since the beginning of the 2015 season, Webster and Concordia (Chicago) have met each other six times and four of those games had gone into extra innings, including a 10 inning affair in their last meeting last season at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.

Tholl's homer was his only hit of the game as the Gorloks recorded nine hits in the win, including two hit games for both senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) and sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro).

Concordia (Chicago) struck first as they used a single and back-to-back doubles from Andrew Massey and Mitch Wilson, the second double driving in two runs off of Lee to give CUC a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.

Webster, though, answered right back in the bottom of the first thanks to a one-out single by Wick and then with two outs, Kent hit a double down the left field line that plated Wick with the Gorloks' first run of the 2018 season.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the third as Webster used singles by Wick and Kent and walk to sophomore designated hitter Mark Melville (St. Louis, Mo./Northwest Missouri State) to load the bases with two outs. That brought up freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and he hit a ball through the right side of the infield that was deep enough to allow two runs to score to give the Gorloks a 3-2 lead.  

The Gorloks then pushed its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a lead-off single by senior centerfielder Conner Wardlaw (Arnold, Mo./Jefferson College) and an RBI double from Melville that chased Cougar starting pitcher Keaton Conner from the game. Conner earned a no-decision as he threw 4.1 innings and allowed eight hits and four runs, while walking two and striking out five.

In the top of the sixth, the Cougars loaded the bases thanks to a single and back-to-back walks issued by Lee, Beaver would then come out of the bullpen to relieve Lee and the first pitch he threw as a wild one that skipped back to the screen behind the plate that allowed the Cougars third run to score. Following the wild pitch, Beaver would walk the first batter he faced to load the bases and then he hit Connor Brandon with a pitch to bring in the second run that tied the game at 4-all. Beaver was then replaced by Donovan and he got out of the jam by recording double play to leave two runners stranded.

Lee tossed 5.1 innings and allowed all five Cougar hits and four runs, while walking two and fanning four.

From that point, neither team could only muster one base runner as both Donovan and CUC reliever Brian Musielak (0-1) would combine to retire the next 18 of the next 20 batters before Tholl's game winning blast. The lone base runners were Wardlaw and Melville, who each drew walks in the seventh inning.  

CUC picked up five hits in the game and drew three walks from Gorlok pitching. Massey had two of his team's five hits.

Musielak took the loss as he threw the final 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit and one run, while walking two and striking out five. For the game, the Cougars pitchers finished with 10 strikeouts.

The Gorloks will return to action on Monday, Feb. 26 as they host Concordia (Texas) in a 1 p.m. game at GCS Ballpark and then they will play another game at 4 p.m. Monday afternoon against Concordia (Chicago). The two Concordia schools will open the day on Monday at GCS Credit Union Ballpark with a 10 a.m. match-up.