MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa - Webster University continued its late season surge here Sunday as the 18th-ranked Gorloks extended its win streak to 15 consecutive games after sweeping a doubleheader from Iowa Wesleyan in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division action at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. 

The Gorloks opened Sunday's doubleheader by holding off a late Tigers rally to post a 9-7 win, before recording 21 hits, including hitting four home runs en route to earning an 18-6 win in the nightcap that was called after seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. 

With the two wins Sunday, Webster improves its season record to 29-7 overall and 18-2 in the SLIAC, while Iowa Wesleyan fell to 7-33 overall and 0-23 in the league. 

Webster will wrap up the 2018 regular season with four games this coming week as they open the week with a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 1 in Normal, Ill.,  at Illinois State University against Benedictine (Ill.) beginning at 5 p.m., before concluding SLIAC play with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 5 against Spalding at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., beginning at 12 p.m.

In Sunday's doubleheader, the Gorloks recorded 35 hits, including sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) went 7-for-10 at the plate with 5 RBIs and five runs scored, while sophomore centerfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's) went 6-for-10 with six runs scored and 2 RBIs and senior leftfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) went 5-for-7 with six runs scored, two home runs and 3 RBIs.

Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the first of Sunday's opener thanks to a single and stolen base by Wick, a wild pitch by IWU hurler Mitchell Wilcox and an RBI groundout by Lovell.

The Tigers would answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the first thanks to a solo home run by Joseph Belarde off of senior Gorlok hurler C.J. Lee (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley).

IWU would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning on solo home run by Travis Gile off of Lee. 

Webster, though, would respond in the top of the third inning as used one hit an a Tiger error to plate four runs and take a 5-2 lead. In the inning, the Gorloks scored a run on a wild pitch, on an RBI single by Kent and a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC). 

The Gorloks lead grew to 6-2 in the fourth inning on a single by Wick and an RBI double down the right field line by Lovell off of Wilcox and then pushed its lead to 7-2 in the fifth inning thanks to three hits, including an RBI single by sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) and an error.

Holding a 7-2 lead, the Gorloks added two more runs to its lead in the sixth thanks to RBI singles by freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and Swanson off of IWU reliever Austin Christian, who relieved Wilcox in the fourth inning. 

Lee (6-2) pitched the first five innings and he allowed just four hits and two runs on two solo home runs, while walking three and fanning six, before leaving with a 9-2 lead. 

Freshman Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) came in to replace Lee to start the sixth, but the righthander struggled as after striking out the first batter and walking the second batter he faced, he hit the next batter, allowed a single to load the bases and then he allowed a 2-run double to Alex Payne and then hit Belarde before being replaced by sophomore Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett). The first batter Donovan faced, Chazz Brown, hit a bases clearing double down the left field line to move the Tigers within 9-7. Donovan, though, would recover as he struck out Tyler Cooksey and forced Matthew Murphy to ground out to end the inning with runner on third.

In the seventh, Webster looked to add some insurance runs as Wick reached on a one-out single and moved to second when Lovell reached on an error by Cooksey at third base. But those two runners were left stranded as Avery Mobley, the third Tiger pitcher of the game, would retired next two Gorlok hitters in order to leave the runners on base.

Donovan would retire the Tigers in order in the seventh to secure his sixth save of the season. The six saves is tied for second-most in single season in school history as Steven Dooley holds the season mark for saves with seven in 2012. 

Wilcox (0-4) took the loss for the Tigers as he pitched 3.2 innings and allowed six hits and six runs (five earned), while walking two and fanning none.

Swanson and Wick each had three of Webster's 14 hits in the opener, while Lovell, Kent and Swords each had two hits. In addition, Wick scored a season high three runs, while Lovell and Swords each scored two runs and combined for three RBIs. The three hit game by Swanson was his third of the season.

Brown had two of IWU's seven hits and also added 3 RBIs. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster jumped in front 2-0 in the first inning as Wick led off the game with a homer and Swords added a second run later in the game on a line out to second. 

The Gorloks would then add six more runs in the second to push its lead to 8-0. In the inning, redshirt junior catcher Talon Parke (Mesa, Ariz./Saint Joseph's) led off with a triple and would score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University). The next Gorlok hitter, freshman shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) was hit by a pitch and Wick followed with his second home run of the game to push Webster's lead to 5-0. Following Wick's second home run of the game, Lovell and senior designed hitter Ben Dinter (Gurnee, Ill./College of Lake County) would reach on back-to-back singles, before Kent followed with a 3-run homer to complete the scoring in the inning. The homer by Kent was his team leading sixth of the season.

Webster added two more runs in the fourth on a 2-run single to left by Strohm off of Avery Mobley, the second pitcher of the game for the Tigers. 

IWU, though, would prevent a shutout in the nightcap as they used three hits, including a 2 RBI single by Parker Leland to plate its first two runs off of freshman hurler Andrew Padilla (Burbank, Ill./Reavis), who started Sunday's nightcap for the Gorloks. They would add a third run later in the frame on an error by Staker at shortstop. 

Padilla (1-0) earned the win as he tossed four innings and allowed four hits and three runs (three earned), while walking two and fanning a career high six. 

Webster would add five more runs in the fifth to push its lead to 15-3. In the inning, Wick walked to lead off the inning, moved to third on a double by Lovell and both runners would score on a 2 RBI single by senior designated hitter Dakota DeFreitas (Brechin, Ontario/John Wood CC). DeFreitas would later score a run on a wild pitch by William Hlady and Parke added the final two runs on his single.

The Tigers would score three runs in the bottom of the fifth off of Gorlok freshman reliever Trey Neighbors (Maybank, Texas/Maybank).

Webster added its final three runs in the top of the sixth as Kent brought home the first run on a double to center and Kent would score one batter later when freshman Jacob Budrovich (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) drilled an Everertt Swinson pitch over the fence in left center for a 2-run homer. The homer was the first of Budrovich's career and 22nd of the season for the Gorloks.

Junior Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton College) hit a batter, but also struck two batters in the sixth in relief of Neighbors and freshman pitcher Ben Kowlalski (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township) made his collegiate debut on the mound in the seventh as he allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two to seal Webster's victory.

For the game, Webster's four pitchers combined to record 12 strikeouts and walk just five in the nightcap. 

Stephen Larson (1-7) took the loss for the Tigers as he pitched 1.1 innings as the starter as allowed eight hits and eight runs, while walking and striking out none.

Kent went 5-for-5 with four runs scored and 4 RBIs, while Lovell went 4-for-5 with four runs scored in the nightcap. Parke added three hits and 3 RBIs and Wick had two hits, scored three runs and also had 3 RBIs for the Gorloks. 

The 21 hits in the nightcap are just two shy of the 23 hits recorded against Blackburn on April 11. 

Jacob Leonard had two of IWU's six hits in the nightcap.