SAUGET, Ill. - Webster University opened St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play here Friday evening by spitting both ends of a doubleheader against Westminster (Mo.) College at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. 

Westminster opened the doubleheader by scoring three runs in the 12th inning and held off a Webster rally in the bottom of the 12th to post a 6-4 win, before three hits by sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) and a grand slam in the sixth inning by senior designed hitter Dakota DeFreitas (Brechin, Ontario/John Wood CC) to earn an 8-2 victory over the Blue Jays in the nightcap.

With the doubleheader split, 22nd-ranked Webster improves to 10-6 overall and 1-1 in the SLIAC, while Westminster is now 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the league. The two teams will conclude the weekend series with a 5 p.m. single nine inning game on Saturday, March 31.

In Friday's doubleheader, the Gorloks collected 20 hits and scored 12 runs, including Kent going 6-for-9 at the plate with four runs scored and 3 RBIs in the two games. Senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) collected three hits, including two in the nightcap, while sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) was 3-for-5 at the plate in the opener.

Webster opened the scoring in the first inning of the nightcap thanks to a single and stolen base by Kent and an RBI single by Wick off of Westminster starting hurler Alex Dickneite.

The Gorloks lead grew to 3-0 in the third inning on a 2-run homer over the wall in right center by Kent. Kent's homer came one batter after junior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) walked to lead off the frame. The homer by Kent was his team leading second of the season. 

Westminster, who has won three of its last four games against Webster dating to last season, scored its first run of the game in the fourth inning thanks to back-to-back singles to open the inning and an RBI ground out later in the inning by Will Stonecipher off of senior hurler C.J. Lee (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley).

In the fifth inning, Tholl led off with a single, moved to third on a double by Kent and after freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, the Gorloks would push its lead to 4-1 on a wild pitch by Dickneite. 

The Blue Jays added its second run in the top of the sixth inning thanks to two singles and a wild pitch to drop Webster's lead to 4-2. 

Webster would break the game open in the bottom of the sixth as nine hitters came to plate and the Gorloks recorded four hits, including the grand slam with two outs by DeFreitas that pushed Webster's lead to 8-2. The grand slam by DeFreitas was the second on his career as he hit a grand slam in the second inning last season against Iowa Wesleyan. In the sixth, freshman shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and then sophomore centerfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) and senior second baseman Conner Wardlaw (Arnold, Mo./Jefferson College) had recorded infield hits to load the bases. After both Tholl and Kent were retired by Blue Jays releiver Braden Beasley, DeFreitas stepped the plate and drilled the first pitch he saw from Beasley over the wall in right center for a grand slam. After DeFreitas slam, Wick reached on a single and then he stole second and Swords walked, before junior catcher Talon Parke (Mesa, Ariz./Saint Joseph's College) fouled out behind home plate to end the inniing. 

Junior Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton College) would retire the Blue Jays in order in the seventh in relief of Lee to seal Webster's win. 

Lee (1-2) earned his first win of the season as he pitched six innings and allowed seven hits and two runs, while walking one and striking out seven. Over his last two outings, Lee has pitched 13 innings and has struck out 15 batter and walked just two as he recorded a season high eight strikeouts and walked in his last start this past Sunday against Rose-Hulman.

Westminster finished with seven hits in the nightcap, including Ryan Klimliewicz recording two of those seven hits. 

Dickneite (0-1) earned the loss for Blue Jays in the nightcap as he pitched five innings and allowed six hits and four runs, while walking three and striking out seven.

Meanwhile, in Friday's opening game, which started 30 minutes late as Westminster was stuck in congested traffic on I-64 on its trip from Fulton, Mo., to GCS Ballpark, the Blue Jays scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Mason Price. 

The Bliue Jays lead grew to 2-0 in the second inning on a one-out solo home run over the wall in left field by Klimkiewicz off of Gorlok sophomore starter Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic). 

Webster would respond in the bottom of the fourth inning as they used singles by Kent, Wick and Swanson to drop Westminster's lead to 2-1. 

The Gorloks tied the game in the bottom of the fifth as they took advantage of two Blue Jay errors, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Kent to score an unearned run and tie the game at 2. 

In the sixth, Westminster had a scoring chance against Mulhearn as they put runners on first and third thanks to two singles, but Mulhearn would leave those runners stranded as forced Stonecipher to pop up to end the inning. 

Neither team would be able to get much going from the seventh through the 10th inning, before Westminster's Ryan Clavin led off the 11th inning with a solo home run over the fence in right field off of freshman reliever Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) to take a 3-2 lead. 

The Gorloks, though, would respond in the bottom of the 11th as they used a double by Swanson, a single from sophomore pinch hitter Jon Cocchio (Montville, N.J./Quincy University), a bunt by Lovell and a fielding error by Blue Jays catcher Branden Beeler to score an unearned run to tie the game. With the winning run on third and one out, Clavin, who relieved Westminster start Ian Cassidy in the 10th inning, got out of the jam when Wardlaw popped hit bunt attempt in the air and doubled Cocchio off of third to end the inning. 

Westminster would score three runs in the 12th thanks to two hits, an error and three walks to take a 6-3 lead. 

In the bottom of the 12th, Kent recorded a one-out ground ruled double to left, moved to third on Clavin wild pitch and scored then senior designated hitter Ben Dinter (Gurnee, Ill./College of Lake County) hit a sacrifice fly down the left field line that allowed Kent to score from third and bring Webster within two runs at 6-4. That would be the last run of the game, though, as Clavin struck out Wick to end the game and seal the win.

Mulhearn pitched eight strong innings as he allowed six hits and two runs, while walking one and fanning three in his 99 pitch outing. Beaver (0-1) took the loss as he pitched 3.1 innings and allowed four hits and three runs (two earned runs), while walking one and fanning five. 

Much like Mulhearn, Cassidy was also strong on the mound for the Blue Jays as he pitched nine innings and allowed six hits and two runs (one earned), while walking one and fanning three. Clavin (1-2) picked up the win as he allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) in his three innings of work. Clavin also recorded two strikeouts and walked none. The Blue Jays committed five errors in the game. 

In the game, the two teams combined for 21 hits and left 21 runners on base. Westminster had 10 hits, including three from Blake Strebler and two hits each from Beeler and Zach Eisenreich, who is the son of former 15-year major league player Jim Eisenreich. 

Webster had 10 hits as Kent and Swanson each had three in the loss.