CARLINVILLE, Ill. - Webster University kept its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament hopes alive here Wednesday evening as the Gorloks totaled 29 hits, scored 25 runs and hit six home runs in sweeping a SLIAC doubleheader from Blackburn College at Blackburn Field. 

In Wednesday's opener, Webster recorded 13 hits, including two home runs from senior first baseman Katlyn Garza (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North) in its 11-2 win in five innings, before pounding out 16 hits, including a 2-homer game from senior second baseman Tessa Johanning (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) in its 14-5 win in six innings in the nightcap.

With the two wins, Webster improves to 13-15 overall and 8-6 in the SLIAC, while Blackburn fell to 14-23 overall and 4-14 in the SLIAC. The Gorloks came into play on Wednesday needing to win all six of its final regular season game to give themselves a shot at one of four spots in the SLIAC Tournament. 

The 16 hits in the nightcap were a season high, while the three home runs in each game were also season highs. 

Johanning, Garza and junior third baseman Brienna Sheperd (Central Point, Ore./College of the Redwoods) each had two hits in each game as they combined to go 12-for-23 at the plate in the doubleheader with a combined seven runs scored, 14 RBIs and five extra base hits, including three by Johanning and two from Garza. 

In the opener, Webster jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to two hits and an error by Beavers catcher Lexi Yockey. In the inning, sophomore shortstop Taylor White (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran St. Charles) led off with a bunt single, moved to second on a stolen base and would then steal third. Johanning would then hit an RBI sinlge to left that plated White for the first run of the game. Later in the inning on a grounder back to the pitcher by Garza, senior catcher Terri Dearth (Lemont, Ill./Southwestern Illinois) scored on Yockey's error at the plate. 

The Gorloks lead grew to 7-0 in the top of the second inning thanks to four hits and a Blackburn error that made all five runs unearned. The first run of the inning came on fielding error by Blackburn second baseman Bobbi Morris on a bunt attempt by freshman leftfielder Skiela Martinez (Whittier, Calif./California).  The second run came home on a sacrifice fly to center by Johanning, with the next three runs coming home on homers as sophomore Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad)  hit a 2-run home run over the fence in left, while Garza would follow with a solo home run that also went over the fence in left. The homer by Burroughs was her first of the season. 

Blackburn would score its first run of the game in the bottom of the second on a lead off solo homer by Hannah Goett off of senior pitcher Morgan Mansur (Decatur, Ill./Lincoln Land CC). 

Webster added three more runs in the third inning thanks to a 2-run double through the left side by Johanning and then Burroughs and Garza each drew walks, the second walk by Garza came with the bases loaded and gave the Gorloks its 10th run of the game. All of those runs came off of Blackburn starting pitcher Jensen Ballinger, who was replaced in the circle after walking Burroughs. 

The Beavers would pull within 10-2 in the bottom of the third on a 2-out solo home run off the bat of Baylee Hughes. 

Needing just one run to end the game early due to the 8-run mercy rule, the Gorloks got that run in the fifth with two outs as Garza drilled a 1-1 pitch from Halle Fransen over the fence in straight away center for her second homer of the game. Webster threatened to put more runs on the board after Garza's homer as Mansur reached on a single up the middle and Sheperd hit a single to hole at shortstop to put runners on first and second with two outs, before Fransen lined out to Abby Frerichs in center. 

Mansur would then retire the Beavers in order in the bottom of the fifth to preserve her eighth win of the season. 

For the game, Mansur (8-6) tossed five innings and allowed four hits and two runs, while walking none and striking out three. 

White, Garza, Johanning, Sheperd and senior designated player Chelsea Thornley (Clinton, Mo./Clinton) each had two hits in the opener for the Gorloks. White scored three runs, had two stolen bases and was on base four times in the game, while Johanning and Garza combined for seven RBIs.

Goett had two of Blackburn's four hits in the loss. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster jumped in front 3-0 in the first inning thanks to two hits and two Blackburn errors. Dearth opened the scoring in the inning on her seventh home run of the season and after back-to-back errors put Johanning and Burroughs on base, Johanning would score the second run on a wild pitch by Brooke Daniels and Burroughs scored the final run of the inning on Mansur's double to right. 

The Gorloks would then send 10 hitters to the plate in the second inning and score five runs, all of which came with two outs on six hits to push in front 8-0. After the first two Gorloks were retired, White walked, moved to second on a single by Dearth and both hitters moved up a base on a wild pitch, before Johanning drilled a pitch from Daniels over the fence in left field for a 3-run homer. The homer was the first of season for Johanning. Burroughs followed Johanning's homer with a single and she would score on a single to right center by Garza that chased Daniels from the game. The final run of the inning came home on an RBI single down the right field line by Sheperd off of Hughes. 

Blackburn, though, would respond in the bottom of the second as they used one hit and four walks issued by sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Johnson (East Alton, Ill./Greenville University) to score three runs and drop Webster's lead to 8-3. 

One day after striking out a season high eight and pitching probably her best game as a Gorlok in Webster's second game against Eureka, Johnson struggled with her control on Wednesday against Blackburn as she lasted just 1.2 innings and allowed one hit and three runs, while striking out two and walking five in 49 pitches. 

The Beavers would pull a little closer in the third inning on a solo home run over the fence in center by Daniele Burnell off of Thornley, who relieved Johnson in the second inning. 

Holding an 8-4 lead, Webster would add two more runs in the fourth to push its lead to 10-4. In the inning, Burroughs walked to lead off the inning and would come all the way around and score on a single to center by Garza and Sheperd, who reached on a fielder's choice, would score an unearned run on a throwing error by Burnell in right. 

Blackburn added its fifth run in the bottom of the fourth on a single by Hughes and an RBI double to left by Yockey. 

Webster added a single run in the fifth on a 2-out solo home run over the fence in left center by Johanning off of Hughes. Johanning's homer gave Webster an 11-5 lead. 

The Gorloks would plate three runs in the sixth thanks to RBI doubles by both freshman rightfielder Amanda Kraus (Valley Park, Mo./Valley Park) and Dearth and an RBI on a fielder's choice grounder by White. 

Thornley would pitch out of a jam in the sixth thanks to a walk and double, before ending the game early due to the 8-run mercy rule with a strikeout of Burnell. 

Thornley (3-5) tossed 4.1 innings and allowed five hits and two runs (two earned runs), while walking two and striking out three. 

Daniels (1-6) took the loss in the circle as she pitched 1.2 innings and allowed six hits and eight runs (six earned runs), while walking two and striking out one. 

Dearth had three hits, scored two runs and had 2 RBIs in the nightcap. In addition to Dearth, Johanning, Burroughs, Garza, Mansur, Sheperd and Kraus each had two hits for the Gorloks. Johanning and Burroughs each scored three runs in the win. 

Yockey had two hits for the Beavers in the nightcap as Blackburn finished with six hits. 

The Beavers committed four errors in the nightcap and both teams stranded a total of 16 runs as Webster left seven runners on base and Blackburn left nine runners on base. 

Webster will conclude its home slate of games this coming Sunday, April 29 as they face Spalding in a SLIAC doubleheader beginning at 12:30 p.m. that will be played at UMSL and then the Gorloks will close the regular season on Monday, April 30 with a doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Iowa Wesleyan. Following the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, Webster will honor its six seniors in a ceremony. The seniors this season are Dearth, Garza, Johanning, Mansur, Thornley and Kelsey Donohue (Hazelwood, Mo./Hazelwood West).