ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Webster began the final week of the 2018 regular season here Sunday afternoon by dropping both ends of a non-conference doubleheader to Augustana (Ill.) College at Carver Field on the Augustana campus.

The Gorloks and the Vikings battled for 10 innings in the opener as the Vikings pulled out a 2-1 win, before earning a 12-4 win in the nightcap that was halted in the sixth inning due to the mercy rule.

With the two losses, Webster fell to 11-13 overall on the season, while Augustana improves to 20-12 on the season.

Sunday's game began a span of 10 games in seven days for the Gorloks to close out the regular season as Webster will play St. Louis Intercollegiate Conference doubleheaders on Tuesday and Wednesday at Eureka and Blackburn, before returning home to host Spalding in a doubleheader that will be played at UMSL on Saturday and then conclude the regular season with doubleheader next Sunday at Iowa Wesleyan. 

In Sunday's doubleheader, the Gorloks recorded 10 hits, including senior catcher Terri Dearth (Lemont, Ill./Southwestern Illinois) hitting home runs in both games. Dearth's two home runs give her five on the season, which is fifth most among SLIAC hitters this season.

Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the third inning of the first game on a one-out solo home run by Dearth off of Augustana pitcher Kelcie Fredrickson. 

The Vikings would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth on a single by Molly Wrenn and an RBI double by Haley Ruch off of Webster senior pitcher Morgan Mansur (Decatur, Ill./Lincoln Land CC). 

In the sixth, the Gorloks had a scoring chance back-to-back two out walks issued to Mansur and junior third baseman Brienna Sheperd (Central Point, Ore./College of the Redwoods), but Fredrickson got out of the jam by forcing senior designated player Chelsea Thornley (Clinton, Mo./Clinton) to ground out. 

Neither team would have more than one runner on base through the next three innings, until the bottom of the 10th inning as Augustana's Zayne Blumberg reached on a lead off double and after Dina Falk reached on a single, Blumberg was thrown out at third base and Falk moved to second on the play. The next Viking batter, Carly Wilson, delivered a double off of Mansur that allowed Falk to score the game winning run. 

Mansur (7-5) took the loss in the circle for the Gorloks as she pitched 9.1 innings and allowed eight hits and two runs (two earned), while walking three and fanning five. 

Wilson's game winning double made a winner out of Fredrickson (8-2) as she tossed all 10 innings and allowed five hits and one run, while walking four and striking out four.

Both teams left eight runners on base in the opener. 

Falk had three of Augustana's eight hits, while along with Dearth, the other Gorlok hits were collected by Mansur, Thornley, sophomore shortstop Taylor White (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran St. Charles) and senior second baseman Tessa Johanning (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan).

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster scored the game's first two runs in the top of the first inning thanks to two hits and an error. In the inning, White walked, moved to second on a stolen base and reached third on a single by Mansur. The Gorloks would load the bases as Dearth drew a walk from Alivia Phelps. After Phelps retired the next two Gorloks, sophomore centerfielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad) singled and that brought home White with the first run and on Burroughs' hit, Augustana leftfielder Amanda Ray committed an error that allowed Burroughs to reach second and also allowed Mansur to score an unearned run.

The Vikings, though, would score five runs in the bottom of the fifth on five hits and two Gorlok errors to take a 5-2 lead. The big hit in the inning was a 2-run double by Clare Kramer off of sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Johnson (East Alton, Ill./Greenville University). 

Augustana extended its lead to 6-2 in the third inning on a single, a ground out, a Johnson wild pitch and an RBI single by Falk. 

Webster, though, responded in the top of the fifth inning as they scored two runs to drop Augustana's lead to 6-4. In the inning, Mansur drew a two-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and would score on a two-run homer by Dearth off of Phelps. 

The Vikings would end the game one inning early as they sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored six runs on six hits and an error by Thornley in the bottom of the sixth. The two big hits in the inning were RBI doubles by Shelby Grandt and Lauren Severson. 

Johnson (2-3) took the loss in the circle for the Gorloks as she tossed 5.1 innings and allowed 14 hits and eight runs (seven earned), while walking one and striking out two. 

Webster had five hits and left four runners on base in the nightcap. As along with Burroughs and Dearth, the other hits for the Gorloks were recorded by Mansur, Johanning and senior first baseman Katlyn Garza (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North). 

Augie recorded 18 hits in the nightcap as Grandt had three hits, while Falk, Blumberg, Wrenn, Ruch, Kramer and Marissa Catalano each had two hits in the victory.

Phelps (4-2) earned the win in the circle for the Vikings as she tossed five innings and allowed four hits and four runs, while walking four and striking out four. Cecelia Peine allowed one hit and recorded one strikeout in the sixth to pick up the save.

Webster will return to action on Tuesday, April 24 as they travel to Eureka, Ill., for a SLIAC doubleheader against Eureka College. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.