ST. ANN, Mo. - Webster University returned to action after nearly a week off on a cold and blustery Wednesday evening as they split a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Fontbonne at ABC Park.

In the opener, the Gorloks fell 9-0 in five innings as they were no-hit by Maddy Strickland, before using an RBI single in the first inning by senior leftfielder Terri Dearth (Lemont, Ill./Southwestern Illinois) and seven strong shutout innings in the circle from senior Morgan Mansur (Decatur, Ill./Lincoln Land CC) to post a 1-0 victory in the nightcap.

With the split, Webster improves to 11-11 overall and 6-4 in the SLIAC, while Fontbonne falls to 10-18 and 10-2 in the league. 

After getting no-hit in Wednesday's opener, the Gorloks made sure they wouldn't be held without a hit for a second game as after senior shortstop Taylor White (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran St. Charles) led off the game with a walk and reached third on back-to-back stolen bases, she would score on Dearth's run scoring single up the middle off of Fontbonne pitcher Diamond Thomas.

Following Dearth's RBI single, Webster would turn the game over to Mansur and its defense as Mansur faced the minimum number of hitters through the first innings thanks to double plays in the first and fourth innings. 

In the fifth inning, Webster had a chance to add an insurance run, but Thomas was able to battle out of the jam. In the inning, Mansur reached on an error by Thomas and would advance third when junior catcher Casey Cullinane (Simi Valley, Calif./College of the Redwoods) reached on by Griffins third baseman Emily Cardwell on her bunt attempt. The ensuing Gorlok hitter, senior Chelsea Thornley (Clinton, Mo./Clinton) delivered a pinch hit infield single to load the bases with one out. With White at the plate, Thomas would toss a wild pitch and on the play, Mansur would be thrown out at home trying to score for the second out and then White grounded out to end the inning with runners on second and third.

Fontbonne would have a scoring chance in the fifth as Emelia Modglin walked and Cardwell recorded a hit to put two runners on base with one out. Modglin and Cardwell would advance a base on a passed ball to put both runners in scoring position with two outs, before Mansur got out of the jam by forcing Melanie Russo to pop out. 

In the sixth, the Griffins put a runner on third thanks to a double and a ground out, but that runner would be stranded as Mansur forced Maddie Cooksey to fly out to Dearth in left to end the inning. 

After Thomas retired the Gorloks in order in the seventh, Fontbonne would have one chance to either tie or win the game as they opened the seventh inning with an infield single by Strickland. Strickland would be lifted for a pinch runner and that runner stole second and would eventually advance to third on a bunt by Cardwell. With two runners on bases and one out in the inning, Mansur would walk Kayla Winkler to load the bases and set up a force out. Isabel Hotop would step to the plate as a pinch hitter and Mansur induced her to hit a ground ball back to the circle and Mansur threw home to force out pinch runner Emily McNiff at the plate. Thomas, who was the next hitter in the inning for the Griffins, would end the game by lining out to White at shortstop to seal Mansur's shutout victory.

Mansur, who improved to 7-4 on the season with win as she scattered four hits and pitched her second shutout of the season and sixth of her Gorlok career. In her 109 pitch outing on Wednesday, Mansur walked four and struck out two. 

Webster finished with three hits in the nightcap as along with Dearth and Thornley, the Gorloks other hit came from White in the third. 

Thomas (4-6) took the loss in the circle for the Griffins as she pitched all seven innings and allowed three hits and one run, while walking one and striking out five. 

In the opener, Fontbonne jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning as they took advantage of an error and a hit to score an unearned off of sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Johnson (East Alton, Ill./Greenville University).

The Griffins would then score three runs in the second inning and added three more runs in the third inning to push out to 7-0 lead. 

Fontbonne completed the scoring in the fourth on a wild pitch and an RBI triple by Thomas off of Thornley, who relieved Johnson in the third inning. 

All nine of Fontbonne's runs in the opener came with two outs in each inning. 

Johnson (2-2) took the loss in the circle as he pitched 1.2 innings and allowed five hits and four hits (three earned runs), while walking one and striking out two. Thornley would pitch the final 2.1 innings and allow seven hits and five runs, all earned, while walking two and fanning two.

Strickland (5-8) walked three, struck out three and faced 18 batters in tossing her no-hitter.

The Griffins had 12 hits in the opener, including a 3-for-3 effort with three runs scored by Russo, while Alleigh Kruse and Cooksey each had two hits and combined for four RBIs, including three RBI from Cooksey.

Webster will step out of SLIAC this coming Sunday as they travel to Rock Island, Ill., for a non-conference doubleheader against Augustana (Ill.) College. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. The Augustana doubleheader will begin a stretch of 10 games over a span of seven days to conclude the regular season.