CARLINVILLE, Ill. - Webster University continued its eight game road swing here Wednesday afternoon as the 25th-ranked Gorloks combined to score 33 runs and pound out 41 hits in sweeping a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Blackburn College at Blackburn Field. 

The Gorloks, who improved to 16-7 overall and 6-2 in the SLIAC, scored 14 runs and had 18 hits in picking up a 14-3 win in the opener, before recording season highs in both runs (19) and hits (23) in posting a 19-8 win in the nightcap over the Beavers. Blackburn fell to 5-19 overall and 3-6 in the SLIC with the two losses.

Webster's 19 runs in the nightcap were the most scored by the Gorloks in a game since scoring 15 runs against Greenville in last year's SLIAC Tournament, while the 23 hits in the nightcap were the most by the Gorloks since rapping out 31 hits in a 40-4 win over Eureka on April 16, 2015. 

In the doubleheader, senior second baseman Conner Wardlaw (Arnold, Mo./Jefferson College) went 7-for-9 at the plate with a double, 3 runs scored and 4 RBIs, while sophomore centerfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's) went 6-for-10 at the plate, with three stolen bases, seven runs scored and a triple and freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) went 6-for-11 with 4 RBIs and two stolen bases. Senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro), junior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) and sophomore desginated hitter Mark Melville (St. Louis, Mo./Northwest Missouri State) each had five hits and combined to score nine runs and 11 RBIs. 

Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the first of Wednesday's opener as Wick and Kent reached on one out singles. With Swords at bat, Kent would be caught stealing, but on the play, Wick would score from third for the Gorloks first run.

The Gorloks added its second run in the second inning thanks to a hit and two Blackburn errors to push in front 2-0 and took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on a lead off triple by Lovell and an ensuing RBI groundout by Wick.

Blackburn would find the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning as Christian Padilla drilled a pitch from freshman Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) over the fence for a home run to drop Webster's lead to 3-1. Beaver was making his second start of the season on Wednesday.

Webster pushed its lead to 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a singles by Wardlaw and Lovell and an error by the Beavers. 

Blackburn added its second run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Tyler Durand to drop Webster's lead to 4-2. 

Webster broke the game open by scoring four runs each in both the fifth and sixth innings to take a 12-2 lead. The big hit in the fifth was a grand slam off of the bat of sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) and in the sixth, Kent and Swords brought home runs on singles, while junior designated hitter Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) brought home a run on a sacrifice fly and Staker's groundout allowed the fourth run to score.

The Beavers scored its third run in the bottom of the sixth on another homer by Durand off of Beaver. 

Webster completed the scoring two runs in the seventh thanks to an RBI double by Melville and a passed ball by Blackburn catcher Ryan Steen.

After allowing a lead off double to Nate Bassett in the bottom of the seventh, Beaver would retire the next three Beaver hitters in order, including striking out Padilla and Brandon Smith to end the game.

Beaver (1-1) pitched all seven innings and scattered 10 hits and allowed three runs, while striking out five and walking none. 

Webster finished with 18 hits in the game as Lovell was 4-for-5 with three runs scored, while Swords was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Wick, Kent and Melville each had two hits in the win. In the game, 10 of the 14 batters that came to the plate for the Gorloks recorded at least one hit and scored at least one run. 

Steen was 3-for-3 at the plate for the Beavers, while Durand was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and 2 RBIs. 

Lochhead (0-1) took the loss for the Beavers on the mound as he tossed 4.2 innings and allowed 10 hits and eight runs (six earned runs), while walking two and fanning none. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the first thanks to a wild pitch by Blackburn starting pitcher Kyler Sherrill. In the inning, Lovell singled to lead off the game, moved to second on a steal, advanced to third and would score of Sherrill's wild pitch.

The Beavers, though, would score three runs in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI double by Tyler Durand and a 2-run single by Michael McDermand off of junior starter Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton College). Santiago was making his third start of the season on Wednesday.

Webster would then break the game open by scoring five runs in the second and adding three runs in the third to take an 8-3 lead. In the second, Swords brought home two runs on a single, Staker scored on a wild pitch, Kent brought home a run on a single and Tholl's double brought home the other run.

Leading 8-3, Webster pushed its lead to 9-3 in the fourth inning thanks to singles by Tholl and Melville and an error by Lochhead on a fielder's choice grounder by Staker.

Blackburn would pull within four runs at 9-5 in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Shane Lewis and then pulled within two at 9-7 in the sixth inning on a 2-run homer by Durand off of Webster junior reliever Mike Kogut (Willow Springs, Ill./South Suburban College). 

Leading 9-7 heading into the seventh inning, the Gorloks offense really heated up as they would score 10 runs and collect 10 hits over the final three innings. In the seventh, the Gorloks had three hits, including a one-out homer by Wardlaw and an RBI double by Swords to score two runs and take an 11-7 lead. 

Webster plated four runs off of five hits and a Blackburn error in the eighth and then added four more runs on two hits in the ninth. 

The Beavers would added a run in the bottom of the eighth as Durand hit his fourth homer of the doubleheader off of senior C.J. Lee (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley), who relieved freshman Andrew Padilla (Burbank, Ill./Reavis) in the seventh inning. 

Padilla (1-0), who was the third of five pitchers in the nightcap for the Gorloks, earned the win as he tossed an inning and allowed just two hits and no runs, while walking one and striking out none. 

Santiago pitched into the fifth and fell one batter short of earning the decision as Kogut relieved him in the fifth after he walked the bases loaded. 

In the nightcap, Tholl led the way offensively as he was 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and had two doubles, while Wardlaw, Wick, Swords, Kent and Melville each had three hits. 

Blackburn had 15 hits in the nightcap as Durand, Steven Diaz and Walter Jarvis each had three hits in loss. 

Lowell Schwartz (0-1) took the loss as he pitched 0.1 innings and alllowed one hit and two runs as he releived Sherrill in the second inning. 

Webster will continue its road swing this coming weekend as they travel to Clayton, Mo., for a three game SLIAC series at Fontbonne. The two teams will open the series with a single nine inning game on Friday, April 13 at 12 p.m. and will conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 14 beginning at 12 p.m.