SAUGET, Ill. - Webster University sealed its first St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series of the 2018 season here Saturday evening as they used a walk-off single by freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill.) in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over Westminster (Mo.) College at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.

Swords' game-winning single in the ninth allowed senior designated hitter Ben Dinter (Gurnee, Ill./College of Lake County) to score from third base to help the Gorloks earn the series win over the Blue Jays and improves its record to 11-6 overall and 2-1 in the SLIAC. Westminster fell to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in the SLIAC.

In the ninth inning, Dinter drew a one-out walk from Andrew Boessen, advanced to second on a stolen base and moved to third on a single up the middle by senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) before Swords' game-winning double on the first pitch he saw from Blue Jays reliever Ryan Clavin. Clavin relieved Boessen (1-3) after he walked Dinter. 

Swords' heroics were needed after the Gorloks couldn't hold a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, Zach Eisenreich opened the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error by Gorloks sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) on a bunt by Adam Mundle. Eisenreich would then steal third and would score on a one-out sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Nick Bohlmann. 

In fact, Webster led 6-4 heading to the top of the eighth inning, but Blue Jays used a Clavin double and an RBI single by Branden Beeler off of Webster sophomore reliever Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) to pull within a run at 6-5. 

Swords' game winning walk-off hit made a winner out of Donovan as he improved to 4-0 on the season. Donovan, who was the third pitcher of the game used by the Gorloks, pitched six innings and allowed six hits and three runs, while walking one and striking out one.

Senior Austin Beccue (Red Bud, Ill./Gibault Catholic) made his first start of the season and lasted 2.2 innings as he allowed three hits and three runs, while hitting two batters and not recording either a walk or strikeout. Freshman Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) relieved Beccue in the third and retired only one of the two batters he faced as he walked one and retired the other on a ground out. 

Westminster jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning as they took advantage of two hit batsmen and two hits, including a bases-loaded double by Mason Price that chased Beccue from the game.

The Blue Jays lead grew to 4-0 in the fourth inning thanks to a two-out, solo home run over the wall in left field by Trevor Rhoads off of Donovan. 

Trailing 4-0, Webster began its comebacj in the fifth inning as they used three hits, a wild pitch and balk by Westminster starting pitcher Skyler Dickneite to plate two runs and drop the Blue Jays lead to 4-2. In the inning, Swords led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and would score on Dickneite's balk. The second run would come later in the frame as freshman Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) would score on an RBI single by senior second baseman Conner Wardlaw (Arnold, Mo./Jefferson College). Staker drew a walk, then moved to second on the balk and advanced to third when sophomore centerfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) struck out, but ran towards first as the ball squirted by the catcher. 

Webster would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth thanks to back-to-back singles to open the inning by Dinter and Wick and eventually used a sacrifice fly by Swanson to score the first run and added its second run on a pinch hit single through the right side by sophomore Jon Cocchio (Montville, N.J./Quincy University). It was the second consecutive pinch hit for Cocchio in the series as he delivered a single in the 11th inning of Friday's series opener. 

The Gorloks then would take its first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh as they used three hits and two Blue Jay errors to score two runs and take a 6-4 lead. In the inning, junior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) reached on a lead-off single, advanced to third on a fielding error by Westminster second baseman Blake Strebler on a ball hit by sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) and would score on an RBI single by Dinter. After Wick moved the runners up a base on his bunt, Swords would step to the plate and deliver a single through the left side to bring home Kent with Webster's sixth run. 

Webster finished the game with a season high tying 14 hits, including Dinter going 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored. In addition to Dinter's four singles, Swords went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Tholl and Wick each had two hits in the win. 

Boessen took the loss for the Blue Jays as he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed three hits and three runs, while walking one and striking out one. 

Westminster finished with nine hits in the loss as Bohlmann led the way with three hits in four at-bats. 

The Gorloks will step out of SLIAC action for a single nine inning game on Wednesday, April 4 against Washington University in St. Louis. First pitch of Wedneday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.