KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Webster University appeared poised to come away with two wins here Monday on the third day of action for the Gorloks at the 2019 PFX Spring Games, but they fell just short of earning those two wins at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex.

In Monday's action, the Gorloks lost its opening in eight innings to Keene State, 13-11 and then suffered a hard-fought 2-1 setback in the nightcap to UMass-Dartmouth. In both games, Webster led going into the seventh inning. 

Against Keene State (2-1), the Gorloks led 6-3 going into the seventh inning against Keene State, but the Owls rallied in the top of the inning to score six runs and take a 9-6 lead. WU, though, answered back in the bottom of the seventh as they scored three times to force extra innings. In the eighth inning, KSU would score four times in the top of the frame and then hold off the Gorloks in the bottom of the frame as Webster scored two runs, before hanging on for the victory. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap against UMD (4-1), Webster scored in the fourth inning and led 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Corsairs scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, including sealing the win on an walk-off single up the middle by Kylie Fletcher. Fletcher's hit came off of junior pitcher Kaitlyn Johnson (East Alton, Ill./Greenville University), who replaced starter pitcher, junior Breelynn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State) in the sixth.

For the day, Webster's offense collected 13 hits and scored 12 runs, including scoring a season high 11 runs in the opener against Keene State. WU entered played on Monday having scored just eight runs in its first six games this season. The hits and runs against KSU were both season highs for the Gorloks. 

Against UMD, Webster got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning as freshman centerfielder Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin) reached on a one single to right and moved to third when sophomore rightfielder Amanda Kraus (Valley Park, Mo./Valley Park) laid down a bunt and on the play, UMD catcher Lindsay Chubbick overthrew the first baseman for an error that allowed Jackson to advance to third. The next Gorlok hitter, junior third baseman Darian Morlan (Duchesne, Utah/Trinidad State) laid down another bunt and on the play, Kraus advanced to third and Jackson scored an unearned run. 

In the fifth inning, WU put two runners on base due to walks, but neither runner would advance to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of the Gorloks. 

The Corsairs would load the bases in the bottom of the fifth against Craig as she would walk three straight batters with two outs, but Craig would get out the jam by forcing Jill Richards to fly out to left to end the inning. 

WU put a runner on second in the top of the seventh inning as freshman catcher Sheyla Iniguez (Riverside, Calif./Bloomington) reached on a single to left and moved to second on bunt by senior second baseman Chelsea Snyder (Mount Vernon, Mo./Mount Vernon), but UMD pitcher Annika Evensen would leave Iniguez at second as she struck out freshman left fielder Hailey Kesler (Bell City, Mo./Scott County Central) to end the threat. 

The Corsairs would open the bottom of the seventh by Averi Soares drawing a one-out walk from Johnson. After Chubbuck fouled out to third base, Cierra Sheerin would walk and then Richards delivered a single to left that scored Soares with the tying run. On the play, Richards advanced to second and Sheerin went to third. The next batter, Fletcher, would end the game with her walk-off single up the middle. 

Johnson (0-2) took the loss for the Gorloks as she allowed two hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out one in 1.2 innings. Craig allowed just one hit, but walked six and fanned five in her five innings of work in the circle. 

In the game, both teams combined for five hits and left a combined 15 runners on base as WU had two hits and left six on base, while UMD had three hits, including two by Richards, and stranded nine runners. 

Evensen (1-0) earned the win for the Corsairs as she pitched the final two innings and allowed one hit and no runs, while striking out three. Richards, who started in the circle for UMD, tossed five innings and allowed one hit and one unearned run, while walking four and fanning four.

Meanwhile, in Monday's opener against Keene State, Webster jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. In the inning, WU sent 10 batters to the plate and recorded five hits and scored five runs. WU's runs were driven home by Jackson, freshman first baseman Renee Ruelas (San Bernardino, Calif./Grand Terrace) and Snyder, who brought home two runs with her single to center and the other run came home on a wild pitch by KSU pitcher Paige Gouldthorpe. 

The Owls would score two runs in the top of the second to cut WU's lead to 5-2. In the inning, both of the runs scored thanks to a throwing error by pitcher Kaitlyn Johnson. 

In the bottom of the second, the Gorloks pushed its lead to 6-2 as they took advantage of a hit by Jackson and an error on a ball hit by Ruelas, that resulted in Jackson coming around to score and Ruelas was thrown out on the play at second.

KSU added its third run in the third inning as they took advantage of two Gorlok errors and bunt single to score an unearned run to pull within 6-3. 

Neither team would score again until the seventh inning as KSU sent nine batters to the plate and scored six runs on four hits to take a 9-6 lead. The big hit in the inning was a 3-run triple by Courtney Votto, while another run came home when Johnson walked in a run with the bases loaded. The other two runs were scored thanks to a RBI single by Kylie Frank and a wild pitch by Johnson.

The Gorloks, though, would rally in the bottom of the seventh inning as they recorded two hits and took advantage of two KSU errors to score three runs and force extra innings. In the seventh, Jackson reached on an error to lead off the frame, moved to third on a single by Ruelas. Following Ruelas' single, Morlan would bring home the first run as she put down a bunt and reached base when pitcher Alexis Blanchette committed a throwing error. After Morlan stole second, Kraus delivered a pinch-hit 2-run single up the middle that tied the game. 

In the top of the eighth inning, Craig replaced Johnson in the circle for the Gorloks and she would allow four runs on three hits and the Gorloks would commit two errors in the inning to give KSU a 13-9 lead. The big hit in the inning was a 3-run double to right center by Cassie Woods. Following Woods' double, Frank followed with a triple to right center to complete the scoring. 

WU would mount another rally in the bottom of the eighth as Arias, who began the inning on second due to the internatioal tie breaker rule, moved to third on a bunt by freshman designated player Gabrielle Novak (St. Louis, Mo./Notre Dame). Arias would score on a crazy play from the next batter, junior shortstop Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad). Burroughs would put down a bunt and on the play, Arias scored on an interference by the Owls catcher and Burroughs would also come around to score to cut KSU's lead to 13-11, but Blanchette would retire the next two Gorloks on groundouts to end the game.

Against Keene State, Novak, Jackson, Ruelas and Morlan each had two hits for the Gorloks. 

Keene State also had 11 hits as Frank, Votto, Woods and Julie Ewell each had two hits for the Owls. 

Craig (1-1) took the loss in the circle as she pitched one inning and allowed three hits and four runs (two earned). Johnson went seven innings and allowed eight hits and nine runs (seven earned runs), while walking two and fanning five. 

Blanchette (1-0) earned the win as she pitched the final 7.1 innings and allowed six hits and six runs (two earned runs), while walking one and fanning two. 

The game featured a total of 12 errors, including seven by Keene State and five by the Gorloks. Additionally, the teams left a combined 11 runners on base, including WU stranding seven runners and KSU leaving four on base.

Webster will conclude play in the PFX Spring Games on Tuesday, March 12 as they face the Coast Guard Academy and Geneva (Pa.) College at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ET respectively at the Osceola County Softball Complex in Kissimmee, Fla.