WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Webster Baseball opened up play here Friday evening in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational by falling 5-2 to Wheaton (Mass.) at the Chain of Lakes Stadium. 

With the loss, the 15th-ranked Gorloks fall to 4-2 on the season, while Wheaton improved to 2-0.

In Friday's game, Webster trailed 3-2 heading into the eighth, but the Lyons would plate two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 5-2 lead and then hold off a one-out bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth to secure the win and snap WU's three-game winning streak. 

The Gorloks finished Friday's game with nine hits and left 10 runners on base, which is the second highest total this season as they stranded 16 in its 2-1 loss in 14 innings at home on Feb. 25 against Transylvania.

Senior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) had three of those nine hits, while junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) added two hits.

Wheaton would get on the scoreboard first in Friday's game in the bottom of the second thanks to three hits, including RBI hits on a double by Andrew Manni and a single to left center by George Mulcahey off of Gorlok junior hurler Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic). 

The Lyons lead grew to 3-0 in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Jared Sharkey. Sharkey's double came one batter after Nick Raposo reached on a two-out single to left center.

Webster, though, would get that run back in the top of the fourth on a fielder's choice bunt by sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine). Staker's bunt came after the Gorloks had loaded the bases in the inning on singles by sophomore third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport), Kent and junior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West). That would the only run of the inning for the Gorloks as Paul Prue would strike out the next two Gorloks in order to leave the bases loaded. 

The Gorloks pulled within a run at 3-2 in the top of the seventh as they used two hits, an error and an RBI groundout by junior leftfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's) off of Lyons reliever Zach Clesas, who replaced Prue to open the inning.

Prue (1-0) picked up the win as he tossed six innings and allowed five hits and one run, while walking one and striking out six. 

Wheaton would respond in the bottom of the eighth off of senior reliever Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton College). Santiago, who replaced Mulhearn to open the frame after he had tossed seven innings and 102 pitches, would load the bases thanks to a single, an intentional walk and a hit batsman, before allowing a 2-run single by Willy Boyd to give the Lyons a 5-2 lead. Santiago would prevent further damage as he struck out Mulcahey to end the innning. 

The Gorloks would have a chance in the ninth as they loaded the bases with one out, but could never get a run home against Wheaton reliever Patrick Archer. In the inning, Staker was hit by a pitch leading off the frame, before moving to second on a single by Strohm and after junior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln) flew out for the first out, Lovell would load the bases on a single to left. With the bases loaded and one out, Archer would get senior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) to line out to third for the second out and then Swords would end the game on a fly out to right center. 

Mulhearn (1-1) took the loss on the mound for the Gorloks as he pitched seven innings and allowed eight hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out six. Mulhearn has now pitched into the seventh inning in all three of his starts this season and has struck out 16 batters and walked just four in 20.1 innings this season.

Wheaton, who had 10 hits and left seven runners stranded, was paced offensively by a a 3-for-3 night at the plate from Raposo. Raposo and Bryant Salkind each scored two runs for the Lyons. 

The Gorloks will look to start a new win streak on Saturday, March 9 as they continue play in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational as they face Salve Regina for a 2:45 p.m. ET game at the Chain of Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven.