MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa - Webster University closed out the 2018 regular season here Monday night needing two wins to earn the fourth and final spot in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament and by the end of the night, the Gorloks swept both ends of its SLIAC doubleheader from Iowa Wesleyan at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex to secure its postseason tournament berth.

The Gorloks opened Monday's doubleheader by posting a 3-1 win in eight innings and then earned a 12-0 win in the nightcap that was called after six innings thanks to the 8-run mercy rule. It was the fourth run rule win for the Gorloks in their last six games. 

With the two victories, Webster extends its win streak to six straight games and improves its record to 17-15 overall and 12-6 in the SLIAC, while Iowa Wesleyan closes the season with a 7-27 overall record and a 5-13 mark in the SLIAC.

The two wins secured the No. 4 seed in this coming weekend's SLIAC Tournament for the Gorloks as Webster will open the tournament on Thursday, May 3 with a 5 p.m. game at ABC Park in St. Ann, Mo., against No. 1 seeded and regular season SLIAC Champion Westminster (Mo.) College. During the regular season, the Blue Jays swept the Gorloks in a doubleheader at Blackburn Park as Westminster picked up wins of 2-0 and 2-1. 

In Monday's doubleheader, the Gorloks offense collected 20 hits and scored 15 runs, including exploding for 12 runs on 12 hits in the nightcap. Sophomore shortstop Taylor White (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran St. Charles) and freshman rightfielder Amanda Kraus (Valley Park, Mo./Valley Park) combined for seven hits on the night, including each playing recording three hits apiece in the nightcap. The three hits by Kraus were a career high. 

Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the third inning of the opener thanks to a run scoring single by sophomore centerfielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad). Burroughs' single scored White from third as she drew a walk, stole second and then moved to third on a bunt by senior catcher Terri Dearth (Lemont, Ill./Southwestern Illinois).

IWU tied the game in the bottom of the third inning on a double, an error, a walk and a run scoring single by Emmy Rodriguez off of senior pitcher Morgan Mansur (Decatur, Ill./Lincoln Land CC). 

Webster had a prime scoring chance in the fifth inning as the Gorloks loaded the bases thanks to a hit by pitch, an infield single by senior second baseman Tessa Johnanning (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) and a walk, before Samantha McIlwain got out of the bases loaded jam by forcing Mansur to fly out ot center. 

After neither team would score over the final two-plus innings to force extra innings, the Gorloks would break up the tie game on an RBI double to right field by  junior third baseman Brienna Sheperd (Central Point, Ore./College of the Redwoods) that plated sophomore pinch runner Kaitlyn Johnson (East Alton, Ill./Greenville University, who was placed on second to open the inning thanks to the international tie breaker rule. Sheperd would score the second run of the inning on an RBI single off the bat of senior leftfielder Chelsea Thornley (Clinton, Mo./Clinton).

In the bottom of the eighth, IWU started the frame with McIlwain on second and she moved to third on a passed ball by Webster junior catcher Casey Cullinane (Simi Valley, Calif./College of the Redwoods) with no outs. Mansur would then walk Sydnee Stalker to open the frame, but Mansur would battle back as she retired the next three Tiger hitters in order, including ending the game on a strikeout of Serena Almodovar.

Mansur (10-6) picked up the win in the circle as she tossed her second straight extra inning game as she threw eight innings and allowed just three hits, including just one hit over the final four innings of the game. In addition, Mansur walked three and struck out a career high 11 Tiger hitters.

Johanning led the way offensively for the Gorloks with two hits, who stranded 12 runners on base in the win. 

McIlwain (4-12) took the loss for the Tigers in the circle as she tossed eight innings and allowed eight hits and three runs (two earned), while walking four and striking out six. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster sent 12 hitters to the plate and recorded five hits and used two Tiger errors to score five runs to take a 5-0 lead. In the ininng, senior first baseman Kaitlyn Garza (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North) led off with a single, before Mansur reached on a fielder's choice and Garza advanced to second on an error by IWU pitcher Julie Dodd and Sheperd then reached on an error by IWU third baseman Jena Miller that put runners on second and third with one out. Cullinane would then followed with a 2-run double to left center that plated Sheperd and Mansur. Kraus then added a single to right, before White drilled a 3-run homer over the fence in right center to complete the scoring in the inning. The homer by White was the first of her collegiate career. 

The Gorloks added another run in the third inning as Dearth drew a bases loaded walk from Dodd to push Webster's lead to 6-0. Dodd, though, would prevent further damage as she retired Johanning on a foul out and Burroughs on a pop up to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Kraus had a hand in Webster's next run in the fourth as she delivered a two-out single to left to push Webster's lead to 7-0. Kraus' single scored Cullinane, who was hit by a Haley Varga pitch with one out in the inning. 

The Gorloks, though, would tally five runs on three hits in the sixth inning to push its lead to 12-0. In the inning, Garza walked to lead off the inning, moved to second on a single by Thornley and after Sheperd drew a walk to load the bases, Varga would then walk Cullinane to bring home the first run of the inning. Following the walk to Cullinane, Kraus followed with an infield RBI single and then White followed with another RBI single to make the score 3-0. Freshman leftfielder Alyssa Starks (Bowling Green, Mo./Bowling Green) then drew another bases loaded walk to plate Cullinane with the fourth run. After Johanning struck out for the first out of the inning, Burroughs would foul out down the left field line and on the play, Kraus would score from third for the fifth run of the inning. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Johnson would pitch around a single in the sixth and end the game with a strike out of Brittany Morse to seal Webster's victory.

Johnson (3-4) picked up the win in the circle as she tossed six innings and allowed three singles, while walking three and fanning seven. 

The shutout was just the fifth of the season for the Gorloks and first for Johnson. 

Despite recording 12 hits, the Gorloks struggled once again with runners on base as they left 11 stranded in the nightcap and combined to strand 23 in the doubleheader. 

Dodd (2-11) took the loss in the circle as she tossed three innings and allowed seven hits and six runs, while walking two and striking out none.