CLAYTON, Mo. - Webster University continued its eight-game road swing here Friday afternoon by scoring two unearned runs on a double steal attempt in the ninth inning to post a 7-5 victory over Fontbonne University in the opener of the team's three-game St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series at Shaw Park.

With Friday's victory, the 25th-ranked Webster improves to 17-7 overall and 7-2 in the SLIAC, while Fontbonne falls to 13-12 overall and 5-3 in the league. 

With the game tied at 5-all heading to the top of the ninth inning, sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) reached on a one-out double down the left field line. Sophomore Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's) would come in the game and pinch run for Swanson. The Gorloks put another runner on base as freshman shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) drew a walk from Fontbonne reliever Brett Lange following Swanson's double. With an 0-2 count on senior centerfielder Conner Wardlaw (Arnold, Mo./Jefferson College), Lovell stole third and would score as the throw from Fontbonne catcher Braeden Dobbs went into left field and as that occurred Staker, who was stealing second, was rounding third and would score as Fontbonne leftfielder Nick Kenny misplayed the ball for an error. 

In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) retired the top three hitters in the Griffins line-up in order to seal Webster's win and also help Donovan improve his record to 5-0 on the season. 

Donovan, who pitched the final 2.1 innings in relief of sophomore starting pitcher Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic), struck out one and retired all seven Fontbonne hitters he faced in order. Donovan came into the game in the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. 

Mulhearn, who was this week's SLIAC Pitcher of the Week, earned a no-decison as he pitched 6.2 innings and allowed a career-high 10 hits and a career-high five runs, while walking none and striking five. 

Webster, who has now won three straight and eight of its last nine games overall, jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first inning thanks a 2-run, 2-out single to right off the bat of freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport). Swords' single plated both senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), who led off the game with a single and junior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC), who followed with a double to to right off of Fontbonne starter Luke Summers.

The Griffins, though, got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first thanks to three singles to drop Webster's lead to 2-1. The third single by Jackson Penrod brought home Michael Golich with Fontbonne's first run. Golich had led of the frame with a single to left. 

Webster would extend its lead to 3-1 in the fourth inning on a lead-off homer by sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro). The homer by Kent was his team leading third of the season and extended his hitting streak to six consecutive games. 

Fontbonne would retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a 3-run blast off the bat of Matt Tossick. Tossick's homer, which gave the Griffins a 4-3 lead, came with two outs in the inning. 

The Gorloks would respond by scoring two runs in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. In the inning, Swanson was hit by a Summers pitch with one out, would move to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on a single through the left side by Staker. The ensuing Gorlok hitter, Wardlaw, would bring Swanson home on his single to left off of Summers. Wardlaw's hit chased Summers and brought Lange into the game for his 13th appearance out of the bullpen this season. Both Staker and Wardlaw would advance a base on a Lange wild pitch and Staker would score the fifth run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right by Wick.

Fontbonne, though, would respond in the seventh as Golich reached on an infield single, stole second and advance to third on a groundout and would score on an RBI single by Ryan Schocker. The next batter, Jackson Penrod, reached on a single to left that put runners on first and second with two outs. It appeared Mulhearn would get out of the jam as he forced Michael Puckett to hit the ball on the ground, but Staker bobbled the ball just enough for an error to load the bases and send Donovan into the game from the Gorloks bullpen.

Webster finished the game with eight hits, including two hits and 2 RBIs from Swords, while Staker scored two runs in the win.

Fontbonne recorded 10 hits in the game as Golich, Penrod, Tossick and Gus Purschke each had two hits for the Griffins.

Summers was just as effective on the mound as Mulhearn was as he tossed 6.1 innings and allowed seven hits and five runs, while walking none and fanning five, 

Lange (2-1) took the loss in relief for Fontbonne as he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed one hit and two unearned runs, while walking one and fanning one.

Webster's defense finished with three errors, while Fontbonne recorded two errors in the game that took a little over two-and-half hours to play. 

The teams will conclude the SLIAC West Division series on Saturday, April 14 with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. at Shaw Park.