SAUGET, Ill. - Webster University Baseball concluded its season opening three-game series here Monday afternoon against Transylvania by splitting a doubleheader against the Pioneers at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.

Webster opened the day with a 2-1 loss in 14 innings in the opener to the Pioneers, before rebounding to earn a 4-3 win in the nightcap thanks to a 2-run homer in the fifth inning by sophomore third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) to proved to the game winner to salvage a split of the two games. 

With the doubleheader split, Webster improves to 2-1 on the season, while Transylvania opens the year with a 1-2 record. Webster opened the 2019 season with a 4-1 win on Sunday despite recording just three hits in the game. 

After being held to just three hits in Sunday's win, Webster's offense finished Monday's doubleheader with 21 hits, including collecting 12 hits in the 14 inning game. For the day, Swords went 4-for-10 at the plate in the two games, while redshirt junior designated hitter A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) also had four hits, including a career-best three hits in the nightcap and senior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) had three hits and 2 RBI. 

While it offense awoke on Monday, Webster continued to get strong starting pitching in both of Monday's game as in the opener, sophomore Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) pitched seven shutout innings as he allowed just seven hits, walked one and struck out eight in his 100 pitch no-decision, while in the nightcap, freshman Brendan May (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney) pitched into the eighth inning and allowed just eight hits and three runs (two earned), while walking two and striking out five in his collegiate debut. 

In the opener, the Gorloks got on the scoreboard first in the bottom fo the fourth inning as Smith reached on a one-out infield single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch from Transylvania starting pitcher Colton Hartig and scored on sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine). 

The Gorloks appeared poised to score another run in the bottom of the seventh as Staker and Strohm reached on back-to-back one out singles and after a strike out by junior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College), junior leftfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) reached on an error at second by Hudson Chastain, but Staker was thrown out at home trying to score on the error to end the inning. 

Transylvania would tie the game in top of ninth as Michael Blair took an 0-1 pitcher from junior reliever Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) over the wall in right field for the first home run of the season for the Pioneers. Following Blair's home run, Donovan walked Chastain, which brought senior Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton) into the game from the bullpen. Santiago would eventually load the bases on a single and a walk, before striking out Trey Medford and forcing Henry Molloy to ground out to end the inning and keep the score tied. 

In the bottom of the 10th inning, senior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) was hit by pitch and Swords followed with single to put runners on first and second with two outs, but Collin Johnson, who relieved Hartig in the seventh inning, would get out of the jam as junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) ground out to first to end the inning. 

The Gorloks put two more runners on base in the 11th inning thanks to singles by Staker and Strohm, but both were left stranded when Johnson forced freshman Brandon Dryer (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) to pop out to shortstop as a pinch hitter to end the threat. 

Webster had another scoring chance in the 12th inning Swords and Kent each reached on singles and junior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch. Max Medley, who replaced Johnson on the mound to start the inning, forced Smith to line out to third to end the inning. 

The hit by Kent in the 12th was the first of the season for the Preseason All-American. Last season, Kent set a new single season school record with 83 hits. 

Webster put two more runners on base in the 13th inning thanks to two out singles by Dryer and Lovell, but Medley got out of the jam again by inducing Tholl to fly out to center. 

Transylvania would finally break open the game in the top of the 14th inning as Wade Lopiccolo led off the frame with a walk issed by Santiago. The walk chased Santiago from the game and brought junior lefthander Garrett Davis (Geneva, Ill./Elgin CC) into the game. Davis would retire his first batter on a sacrifice bunt, which moved Lopiccolo to second and after striking out pinch hitter Jason Pastoor, Molloy would deliver a single to left center that allowed Lopiccolo to score from second and give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead. 

In the bottom of the 14th, Medley retired the Gorloks in order to end the game and seal the Pioneers win. 

Medley (1-0), the third of three Transylvania pitcher, earned the win and tossed three innings and allowed four hits and no runs, while striking out two and walking none.

Santiago (0-1) took the loss as he pitched 5-plus innings and allowed three hits and one run, while walking two and fanning two. 

While Beaver scattered seven hits and struck out eight in seven shutout innings for the Gorloks, Hartig pitched six innings for the Pioneers and allowed just two hits and one run, while walking two and striking out five. 

Transylvania had 12 hits in the win as Riley Wilbur, Blair, Lopiccolo and Molloy each had two hits. WU, who also had 12 hits, got two hits apiece from Lovell, Swords, Staker and Strohm. 

The Gorloks, though, left 16 runners stranded on base, including stranding a total of nine in extra innings. The Pioneers stranded just nine runners. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI single by Strohm, which plated Smith, who had led off the inning with a single to right. 

The Pioneers would answer in the top of the third on a solo home run over the right field wall from Devyn Wilson-Cowan off of May. 

In the fourth, Webster added a second run on an RBI groundout by Strohm, which plated Kent, who had reached on a one-out single to right. 

The Gorloks lead grew to 4-1 in the sixth inning on Swords' two-run homer off of Luke Wilson. The homer came one batter after Tholl walked and stole second. 

May ran into trouble in the sixth inning as Blair led off the inning with a single, moved to third on a single by Chastain, who was thrown out at second trying to stretch the single into a double and then scored on a run scoring single by Austin Butts. After Lopiccolo walked, a passed ball by freshman catcher Zach Goodman (Greenwood Village, Colo./Araphaoe) moved the runners to second and third, Isaac Taylor drove home the Pioneers third run on his sacrifice fly to left. 

In the eighth, the Pioneers put two runners on base against May, but they were left stranded when sophomore Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) struck out Lopiccolo looking to end the inning. Anderson replaced May after he walked Butts to put runners on first and second with two outs. 

In the ninth, Donovan came in relief of Anderson after he walked Taylor to open the inning. Donovan would then retire the next two hitters in order, including inducing pinch hitter Chris Naskal to line into a double play at third, to pick up his first save of the season and ninth of his Webster career.

Webster pounded out nine hits in the nightcap as Smith went 3-for-3 and Swords added two hits to pace the Gorloks. Chastain had three of Transylvania's eight hits. 

Wilson (0-1) took the loss for the Pioneers as he pitched five innings and allowed five hits and four runs, while walking two and fanning three. Evan Burnett scatted four hits and struck over the final three innings.

Webster left eight runners on base and committed two errors in the win. 

The Gorloks will return to action this coming Friday as they host Buena Vista for a 2 p.m. game at GCS Ballpark as part of the Webster BSN Sports Classic.