AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Webster University saw its eight game win streak snapped here Saturday morning as the Gorloks concluded play in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with a 4-2 setback to 26th-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at Lake Myrtle Park.

With Saturday's setback, 27th-ranked Webster moves its record to 9-3 overall on the season and the Gorloks finished their seven game trip to Florida with a 6-1 record. During their seven games in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, the Gorloks faced five schools that were either ranked or receiving votes in this week's latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Division III poll and they picked up wins over three nationally ranked foes - 10th-ranked Southern Maine (8-5), 11th-ranked College of St. Scholastica (6-3) and 24th-ranked Wheaton (Mass.) College (12-5) and a victory over both Rhodes, 8-3, who received six votes in the latest poll. Webster's other two wins came against Ripon (Wis.) College, 6-5 and Rutgers-Camden, 12-3.

"It was a good trip for us. I will take a 6-1 record against the competition we faced this week in Florida," Webster head coach Bill Kurich said following Saturday's game. "We played some really good teams and got some good wins against some good teams and now we get to go home and begin conference play next weekend."

During its seven games in Florida, Webster hit .342 as a team as they recorded 81 hits, scored 54 runs and had 28 extra base hits and was 22-for-29 on stolen bases, including stealing 11 bases in the win over Rhodes.

Three Gorloks hit over .400 for the week as sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) hit .533 as he had 16 hits, five doubles and 5 RBIs, while senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) hit .471 with eight hits, five runs scored, two triples and 8 RBIs and junior second baseman Danny Strohm (St, Louis, Mo./Greenville University) hit .423 with 11 hits, six runs scored, five doubles, 11 RBIs and was 3-for-3 on stolen bases. 

While its offense was hot, so too, was the Gorloks pitching as Webster posted a team earned run average of 2.76 in seven games as in 62 innings of work, Webster's pitchers allowed 57 hits, 28 runs (19 earned runs), walked 19 and struck out 49.

Sophomore Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) led the way for Webster as he was 2-0 in two starts and posted an 0.68 ERA. In 13.1 innings of work, Mulhearn, who pitched seven shutout innings agsainst St. Scholastica and held them hitless for five-plus innings, allowed just five hits and two runs (one earned), while walking four and fanning 11. Two other Gorloks - freshman Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) and sophomore Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) posted ERA's under 2.00 as Anderson went 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and Donovan was 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA. In 11.1 innings and two appearances in relief, Anderson allowed 10 hits and three runs (two earned), while walking two and fanning nine and Donovan made four appearances in relief and in 10.2 innings of work, allowed 12 hits and two runs, both of which were earned, while walking two and fanning five. 

In Saturday's loss to UW-Lacrosse, the Gorloks defense proved to be the biggest obstacle as Webster committed a season high five errors that led to three of the Eagles four runs being unearned. The five errors were the most committed by the Gorloks in a game since committing last season against the College of New Jersey. 

While its defense had five miscues, the Gorlok offense was held in check by UW-Lacrosse's Mason McMahon, who entered the game with an 0.73 ERA on the season. Against Webster, McMahon (2-0) scattered seven hits over 8.1 innings and allowed two runs, one of which was unearned, while walking one and strking out 12 in his 125 pitch outing. 

The Gorloks jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the first on Saturday thanks to a single, and back-to-back errors by UWL. In the inning, Kent reached on a two-out single, moved to third when freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) reached on a throwing error UWL second baseman Alex Robson and Kent would score when UWL catcher Nate Roethle would overthrow second base on a stolen base attempt by Swords. The Gorloks, though, wouldn't score again in the inning as McMahon struck out Wick to end the frame.

Webster pushed out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by junior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC). Tholl's flyout scored sophomore designated hitter Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College), who was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and would eventually reach third thanks to two stolen bases. Lovell finished the game with three stolen bases and is now 4-for-5 on the season in stolen bases. 

In the bottom of the third inning, UWL took advantage of three Webster errors, including one on a failed pickoff attempt by senior pitcher C.J. Lee (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) to plate three runs and take a 3-2 lead. The only hit of the inning was an RBI double by Brennan Schmitt. 

The Eagles added a fourth run in the fifth inning thanks to a wild pitch and another error by Lee on a bunt attempt by Roethle. 

From that point, the Eagles turned the game over to McMahon as he would allow just two base runners over the next three innings, before running into trouble in the ninth. 

In the ninth. Webster loaded the bases with one out thanks to three straight singles by Kent, Wick and Strohm that chased McMahon from the game. The Eagles summoned Caleb Willems from the bullpen with one out and the bases loaded and the batter he faced, sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) hit a ground ball back to the pitcher that the Eagles threw home to retire Kent for the second out. Senior Ben Dinter (Gurnee, Ill./College of Lake County) then pinch hit for freshman shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) and on a 3-2 pitch he struck out swinging to snap Webster's eight game win streak and preserve UWL's victory.

Kent, Strohm and Swanson each had two hits in Saturday's game for the Gorloks.

The Eagles finished with four hits in the win and they committed two errors and turned two double plays. The Gorloks turned one double play and left six runners stranded in the loss. 

Lee (0-1) took the loss on the mound for Webster as he pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three hits and four runs (one earned), while walking one and fanning four. Donovan allowed just one hit and struck out one in his 2.2 innings of work out of the bullpen.

The Gorloks will now return home to St. Louis and begin to prepare to open St. Louis Intercollegiate Conference play next Saturday, March 24 as they travel to Greenville, Ill., for a doubleheader against Greenville University. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m., with the second game to follow about 30-45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.