FULTON, Mo. - Entering the eighth inning here Monday afternoon of its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series finale with Westminster (Mo.) College, Webster trailed 1-0 and had been held to just three hits by Blue Jay starting pitcher Mason Kirkweg, but the 12th-ranked Gorloks offense struck for five runs en route to posting a come-from-behind 5-2 win over Westminster at Saucier Field.

With the win, Webster wins its second straight West Division series as they improved to 5-3 in the SLIAC and 15-6 overall, while Westminster fell to 5-7 overall and 1-2 in the league. On the Sunday, the two teams split a doubleheader as the Blue Jays won the opener, 3-1, before the Gorloks posted a 14-2 win in seven innings in the nightcap.

Webster's eighth inning rally was highlighted by back-to-back two-run doubles from both sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) and sophomore third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport). 

In the eighth, junior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) led off with a single, moved to second when junior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) was hit by a pitch and the Gorloks would then load the bases after senior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) reached on an error. Staker would then deliver a double to left center that scored freshman Jake Breeden (Vienna, Ill./Vienna), who was pinch running for Swanson and Hopp to give WU a 2-1 lead. Swords would follow Staker and lace a double to center that scored both Tholl and Staker and give Webster a 4-1 advantage. Kirkweg would finally record an out in the inning as he struck out redshirt junior leftfielder A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin). Following the strikeout of Smith, Kirkweg would be replaced on the mound by Braden Beasley and he would walk the first batter he faced, junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) and then Beasley would load the bases after hitting sophomore designated hitter Kellen Quigley (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) with a pitch. Senior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) would bring home the fifth run on his fly out to left and Beasley then forced sophomore pinch hitter Jake Knoebel (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East) to pop out to end the inning. 

Webster's five run fifth inning after the Blue Jays scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first thanks to two singles, a bunt and a walk. 

From that point, the game became a battle of pitching as neither team would score until the eighth inning. 

After Webster scored five runs in the top of the eighth, the Blue Jays would add a second run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI groundout by Ryan Klimliewicz off of senior hurler Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton CC), the third Gorlok pitcher of the game. 

In the ninth, Westminster made things interesting as Santiago hit Branden Beeler with a pitch and then Hayden Hirschvogel reached on an error by Swords at third to put runners on first and second with one out. The runners would eventually reach second and third on a groundout, but Santiago would strike out Will Stonecipher looking to end the game. 

Santiago (3-2) earned the win as he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed three hits and one run, while walking one and fanning one. 

Freshman Brendan May (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney) started the game on the hill and pitched into the sixth inning and allowed five hits and one run, while walking three and striking out five. Junior All-American Shane Donovan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) would replace May with one out and two on base in the sixth and he tossed one inning and allowed one hit, but no runs. 

Kirkweg (1-2) took the loss for the Blue Jays as he pitched 7.1 innings and allowed six hits and five runs (two earned), while walking two and fanning five. 

Hopp led the way offensively for Webster as he had two of the Gorloks seven hits. Staker and Swords each had two RBI in the win.

Hirschvogel, Klimkiewicz and Ryan Clavin each had two hits for the Blue Jays as they had nine in the game. 

Westminster's defense committed two errors in the game, but turned two double plays, while Webster turned one double play in the game and has now turned 22 on the season.

The Blue Jays left 13 runners on base, while Webster stranded six runners.

Webster will return to the diamond on Wednesday, April 3 as they host Rhodes College in a doubleheader at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.