EUREKA, Ill. - Webster University returned to St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference here Saturday by posting a 7-1 win in its West Division series opener against Eureka College at Henry Sand Field, but the second game of Saturday's doubleheader was suspended due to darkness in the eighth inning with Webster holding a 6-5 lead.

The two teams will conclude the suspended game on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. prior to concluding the three-game series the regularly scheduled nine inning game. 

With Saturday's win, 25th-ranked Webster improves to 13-6 overall and 3-1 in the SLIAC, while Eureka fell to 5-10-1 overall and 1-7 in the league. In addition, the victory also extends the Gorloks win streak to four straight games. 

In Saturday's series opener, the Gorloks rapped out seven hits, including three doubles and received strong starting pitching from senior C.J. Lee (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley)), who tossed six innings and scattered four hits and allowed only one run, a two-out home run in the fourth inning by Jake Carter. Lee, who threw 90 pitches in his six innings of work, walked two and struck out six to improve his record to 2-2 on the season. 

Webster jumped in front 3-0 in the second inning as they used two walks, an error on a bunt by the Red Devils and a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) to plate the first run. Junior designated hitter Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) brought home the second run on a bunt and the third run of the inning came a little later in the frame as freshman third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) scored from third as freshman shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) was caught in a rundown and thrown out trying to steal second. Staker had reached base on the only hit in the inning, which was a bunt up the third base line. 

The Gorloks lead grew to 6-0 in the third inning thanks to three hits, including a 2-run double by senior centerfielder Mike Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) and an RBI single by Swords. The double by Wick was his first of the season. 

Carter would break up Lee's bid for a shutout in the fourth as he drilled a 1-0 pitch from Lee over the wall for his first home run of the season. 

Webster would add its final run in the sixth inning to take a 7-1 lead thanks to an RBI single to center off the bat of sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro). Kent's single brought home Staker, who had reached on a one-out double to left center. 

Leading 7-1, Webster brought junior Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton College) out of the bullpen to pitch for Lee in the seventh inning and he would walk a batter, but that walk would be erased on a double play to end the game and seal Webster's win.

Swords and Staker each had two hits in the win for Webster, while senior leftfielder Ben Dinter (Gurnee, Ill./College of Lake County) walked twice and scored two runs and Wck also scored two runs and had 2 RBIs for the Gorloks.

Braxten Ary had two of Eureka's four hits.

Isaiah Taylor (0-3) took the loss for the Red Devils as he threw 5.1 innings and allowed five hits and seven runs (five earned), while walking seven and striking out two.

For the game, Webster drew a season-high tying seven walks and has now drawn 15 walks in four SLIAC games. 

Meanwhile, in the suspended game, Eureka held a 5-3 lead after five innings, before the Gorloks answered by scoring a single run in the sixth and plated two runs in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. 

Webster recorded 11 hits, including five doubles, over the first seven innings, including three hits (two doubles) from senior second baseman Conner Wardlaw (Arnold, Mo./Jefferson College). In addition to Wardlaw, Kent, Swords and Staker each had two hits. Kent drove home three of Webster's six runs. 

Freshman Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) made his first career start and lasted just 3.2 innings as he allowed six hits and four runs (three earned), while walking three and striking out one. 

Along with Anderson, freshman Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) threw four pitches and walked a batter and sophomore Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) pitched the next 3.1 innings and allowed three hits and one run, while walking three and striking out one. 

Both teams combined for 10 walks in the suspended game as Eureka drew seven walks and Webster walked three times. In addition, both teams committed a total of five errors as Webster committed two and Eureka had three.