WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University Softball continued its strong play in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play here Monday as the Gorloks won its fourth consecutive game after sweeping a doubleheader from Principia College at Blackburn Park.

The Gorloks opened Monday's doubleheader by posting a 4-1 win in the opener, before using 11 hits and a strong pitching performance from senior Morgan Mansur (Decatur, Ill./Lincoln Land CC) to earn a 9-1 win in five innings in the nightcap.

With Monday's doubleheader sweep, Webster improved to 10-8 overall on the season and 5-1 in the SLIAC, while Principia fell to 2-14 overall and 2-8 in the league. 

For the two games, Webster's offense recorded 23 hits, including four hits and four RBIs from senior first baseman Katlyn Garza (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North) and four hits and two runs scored by sophomore shortstop Taylor White (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran St. Charles). In addition, senior rightfielder Chelsea Thornley (Clinton, Mo./Clinton), senior second baseman Tessa Johanning (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan), sophomore centefielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad) and junior third baseman Brienna Sheperd (Central Point, Ore./College of the Redwoods) each had three hits on the day.

For the doubleheader, Webster left 14 runners on base, including stranding 10 runners in the opener. 

In Monday's opener, Webster left four runners on base through the first two innings, before finally breaking through in the third inning as they recorded four hits and took advantage of two errors on the same play to plate two runs. In the inning, White led off with a single, but she was erased after being caught tying to steal and after senior catcher Terri Dearth (Lemont, Ill./Southwestern Illinois) popped up for the second out, Johanning reached on an error by Principia leftfielder Ashley Noville and advanced to second on a bad throw into the infield by Noville. Johanning would score the first run when Webster's next hitter, Burroughs drilled a double to right field and after Garza walked, Sheperd followed with an RBI single to left that plated Burroughs with the second run.

Webster added its third run in the fourth on a single by White and an RBI double by Dearth off of Panther pitcher Leah Schaefer.

The Gorloks made the score 4-0 in the fifth inning as Burroughs led off the frame with a triple to right field and she would score when the next batter, Garza, would hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Trailing 4-0 heading to the sixth inning, the Panthers broke up Johnson's bid for a shutout as Hannah Hathaway drilled a 2-2 pitch by Johnson over the fence in center for a home run to drop Webster's lead to 4-1. 

In the bottom of the sixth, the Gorloks loaded the bases thanks to an error, a bunt single by White and a walk, but Schaefer get out of the jam without allowing any of those runners to score and leaded the bases loaded.

Thornley would relieve Johnson in the seventh and strike out all three batters she faced to earn her second save this season.

Webster had 12 hits in the opener, including three hits by both White and Sheperd, while Burroughs added two hits and scored two runs. 

Johnson (2-0) earned the win in the circle as she pitched six innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking three and fanning three.

Lauren Daughtery had two of Principia's four hits. 

Schaefer (2-8) pitched all seven innings and she allowed 12 hits and four runs (two earned), while walking two and stirking out three.

Meanwhile, in the nightcap. Webster took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a one-out home run over the fence in left field by Garza. The homer was the first of the season for Garza and Webster's seventh home run of the season.

Principia, though, would answer the Gorloks run in the second by plating a run of their own in the third thanks to a fielding error by Johanning at second base and an RBI single by Hathaway. 

The Gorloks would retake the lead the lead in the bottom of the third inning thanks to four hits and an error by the Panthers. In the inning, Thornley reached on an error by Alyssa Hudenburg, moved to second on a bunt by White and after an infield fly that moved the runners up a base, Johanning brought home two runs with her ground-rule double down the left field line and then Burroughs followed with an RBI single to score Johanning. 

Webster added four more runs in the fourth inning thanks to 2-run singles by both Johanning and Garza to give the Gorloks an 8-1 lead.

Principia had an scoring chance in the top of the fifth inning thanks to loading the bases with three straight one-out singles by Tanya Marquardt, Emily Hewitt and Hudenburg off of Mansur. Mansur, though, would recover to force Hathway to foul out to third base for the second out and then strike out Daughtery to end the inning with the bases loaded.

The Gorloks would end the game in the bottom of the fifth due to the 8-run mercy rule as Mansur led off the inning with a single up the middle, moved to second on a bunt by junior catcher Casey Cullinane (Simi Valley, Calif./College of the Redwoods) and scored the game ending run on an RBI single to right by Thornley off of Schaefer. 

In the nightcap, Garza went 3-for-3 at the plate with 3 RBIs, while Johanning, Mansur and Thornley each had two hits in the win. 

Mansur, who improved to 6-3 with the win, pitched all five innings and allowed five hits and one unearned run, while walking one and striking out a career-high nine. Mansur has won her last four starts since falling to Eastern Connecticut State at the D9 Sunkissed Games in Kissimmee, Fla., on March 11.

Hathaway led Principia with two hits in the nightcap.

Schaefer, who pitched all 10.1 innings on Monday for the Panthers, pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 11 hits and nine runs (six earned runs), while walking one and fanning none.

Webster will return to action on Wednesday, April 11 as they conclude its six-game homestand with a SLIAC doubleheader against Westminster (Mo.) College at Blackburn Park beginning at 5 p.m.