CLAYTON - Webster University concluded its three-game weekend St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division series here Monday evening by winning Sunday's suspended game and then picking up a victory in the finale to earn a series sweep over Fontbonne University at Shaw Park.

The 25th-ranked Gorloks opened Monday's action by posting a 10-1 win in Sunday's suspended game that was halted in the sixth inning due to an illness by first base umpire Kevin Shaw and then picked up a 10-5 win in Monday's regularly scheduled nine inning series finale.

It was Webster's first three game sweep this season in SLIAC Division play as they had gone 2-1 in their previous two division series against both Westminster (Mo.) College and Eureka College. 

With Monday's two wins, Webster improves to 19-7 overall and 9-2 in the SLIAC, while Fontbonne falls to 13-14 overall and 5-5 in the SLIAC.

In Sunday's suspended game that was completed on Monday, the Gorloks recored just seven hits, but scored 10 runs, including five unearned runs thanks to five errors by the Griffins. The game was suspended on Sunday in the top of the sixth inning with Webster holding a 7-0 lead. 

Sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) went 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles in the suspended game. In addition, senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) and junior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) each scored two runs in the win. 

Webster scored two runs in the first as took advantage of a Griffins error to plate an unearned run and would add four runs on four hits and two Fontbonne errors in the second to take a 6-0 lead. Four of the seven runs were unearned as Fontbonne had committed four errors in the first five innings.

The Gorloks lead grew to 7-0 in the fifth as senior centerfielder Conner Wardlaw (Arnold, Mo./Jefferson College) walked, stole second and then as he was stealing third, Fontbonne catcher Braeden Dobbs throw the ball into left field for an error and that allowed Wardlaw to score from third on the play. 

Those seven runs would be more than enough as senior hurler C.J. Lee (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) pitched five shutout innings and allowed just three hits, while walking one and striking out seven to improve his record to 4-2 on the season. Lee threw just 60 pitches in five innings.

When the game resumed on Monday, Webster pushed its lead to 8-0 in the top of the sixth inning as they scored another unearned run on a steal of third base. In the inning, freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) drew a one out walk from Jake Jump. Swords would move to second on a wild pitch and would then steal third and on the play, would score when Dobbs' throw skipped into the left field for his second error of the game. 

The Gorloks lead grew to 10-0 in the top of the seventh as after Wardlaw drew a one-out walk, Wick drilled a 1-1 pitch from Jump over the fence in right field for a two-run homer. The homer was the first of the season for Wick and the 10th homer of the year for the Gorloks.

Fontbonne would break up Webster's shutout bid in the bottom of the seventh as they used two hits and a walk and scored its run on a double play to score its run off of Webster freshman reliever Andrew Padilla (Burbank, Ill./Reavis).  

John Hughes (0-3) took the loss on the mound for the Griffins as he threw 2.1 innings and allowed five hits and six runs (three earned), while walking four and striking out one. Brian Wacha replaced Hughes and allowed one hit and one unearned run in three innings, while walking three and striking out four. 

Michael Golich led Fontbonne with two of their six hits.

In the win, Webster also had five stolen bases, including a career-high tying three steals by Wardlaw. 

Meanwhile, in Monday's final game of the series, Webster recorded 11 hits and took advantage of seven walks and four errors to score 10 runs in back-to-back games. 

Webster would use two hits and a Fontbonne error to score four runs in the top of the second inning to take an early lead. In the inning, junior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) led off the inning with a single and he would score on an RBI double to right center off the bat of sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West). The next hitter, freshman shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine), would drop down a bunt and on the play, Fontbonne third baseman Jonathan Hoevelmann made a wild throw to first base that allowed Swords to advance to second and scored Swanson with an unearned run. Wardlaw moved Staker to third on a bunt and the next two Gorloks, Wick and Tholl walked to load the bases that chased Griffins starter Levi Earnest from the game. Senior designated hitter Ben Dinter (Gurnee, Ill./College of Lake County) would hit a fly ball to center that would score two runs to give Webster a 4-0 lead. 

The Gorloks added two more runs in the third inning on three hits, including an RBI single to center by Swanson and a Fontbonne error on a stolen base attempt by Strohm to push in front, 6-0.

Trailing 6-0, Fontbonne would mount a comeback as they used RBIs on a double and single and scored another run on a sacrifice fly off of Webster freshman starting pitcher Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) in the bottom of the third inning to drop Webster's lead to 6-3. Anderson struggled with his control in the inning as he walked two and hit a batter. 

The Grffins would pull within a run at 6-5 in the fourth inning as they used two hit batsman, a walk and a 2-run single by Golich to three runs in the frame off of both Anderson and senior reliever Austin Beccue (Red Bud, Ill./Gibault Catholic), who replaced Anderson on the mound after he walked Nick Kenny to lead off the fourth.

On the night, Anderson tossed three full innings and allowed two hits and four runs, while walking four, hitting one and striking out none in his  second start of the season.

Webster would push its lead to 9-5 in the fifth inning as they used two hits, including a 2-run single by Swords, a walk, a hit batsman and Fontbonne error to plate three runs.

The Gorloks would complete the scoring in the seventh inning as Tholl led off the inning with double down the right field line, moved to third on a single by Dinter. Dinter would move to second on a stolen base and Kent would bring home Tholl with the 10th run on his RBI groundout.

Beccue, who pitched six innings in relief of Anderson, would pick up the win and improve to 2-1 on the season. In six innings of work, Beccue allowed six hits and one run, while walking two, hitting two and striking out two in his 91 pitch effort. 

Earnest (1-5) took the loss for Fontbonne as he pitched 1.1 innings and allowed two hits and four runs (one earned), while walking five and fanning none. For the game, Fontbonne's four pitchers combined to walk seven Gorloks and allow six stolen bases, including two each from Dinter and Swords. 

Both teams struggled with runners on base as they combined to strand 23 runners as Webster stranded 12 and Fontbonne left 11 runners on base.

After committing five errors in the suspended game, Fontbonne committed four errors in the series finale that led four unearned runs. 

Webster finished with 11 hits in the series finale as Swords went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Swanson added two hits and 2 RBIs and Strohm, Wick and Staker each scored two runs in the win.

Golich, Kenny and Jackson Penrod each had two hits for the Griffions in the setback.

Webster will seek to extend its win streak to seven straight games as they host Principia College in a SLIAC doubleheader on Tuesday, April 17 at GCS Credit Union Ballpark beginning at 5 p.m.