WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University split Wednesday's home doubleheader against Iowa Wesleyan University in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Game of the Week at Blackburn Park.

In Wednesday's doubleheader, IWU scored seven runs over the final three innings to post a 10-7 win in the opener over the Gorloks and then scored an unearned run in the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie en route to posting a 5-4 win in the nightcap. 

With the doubleheader split, Webster improved its record to 7-19 overall and 4-8 in the league, while Iowa Wesleyan is now 16-7 overall and 7-3 in the league. Wednesday's doubleheader came less than 24 hours as the Gorloks swept a doubleheader against Fontbonne at ABC Park in St. Ann, Mo.

The Gorloks finished Wednesday's doubleheader with 19 hits and scored 12 runs, including four Gorloks recording three each in the two games. 

Junior centerfielder Abby Burorughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad) went 3-for-7 with two runs scored and five RBI in the doubleheader, while freshman rightfielder Haley Johnson (East Alton, Ill./Alton Marquette) went 3-for-6 with a run scored and a two RBI. In addition, freshman first baseman/pitcher Arianna Arias (Pomona, Calif./Bishop Amat) and junior catcher Darian Morlan (Duchesne, Utah/Trinidad State) combined for three hits each and scored a combined three runs. 

In the nightcap, Webster jumped in front 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning on a 2-run homer over the fence in left field by Burroughs off of IWU pitcher Emma McDaniel. The homer by Burroughs was her fifth of the season and third in the last five games. Along with leading the team in homers, Burroughs, who is now ninth on the school's all-time hit list with 106 base hits, also leads the team in both runs scored (19), doubles (5), RBI (17) and walks (10). 

The Tigers, who had its seven game win streak snapped in the nightcap, sent nine hitters to the plate and used six hits to plate four runs and take a 4-2 lead. All of the runs in the inning came off of junior Kaitlyn Johnson (East Alton, Ill./Greenville University).

Webster would get two of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth as they used two hits and an IWU error to plate two unearned runs and tie the game at 4-all. In the inning, Arias reached on a two-out error by IWU third baseman Allison Daum, moved to third on a double by Morlan and both Arias and Morlan would score on Haley Johnson's 2-run single up the middle. The two RBI by Johnson were a career high.

In the fifth, Webster retook the lead as they took advantage of two IWU errors to plate an unearned run and take a 5-4 lead. In the inning, junior pitcher Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State) reached on a one-out error by Daum and advanced to second on the play. Burroughs would then reach on another error by Daum at third base, which allowed Craig to score the go-ahead run. 

The Tigers, though, appeared poised to tie the game in the top of the sixth as IWU loaded the bases on two singles, a fielder's choice and a walk, before Craig got out of the jam as she forced Ashley Machholz to ground out to senior second baseman Chelsea Snyder (Mount Vernon, Mo./Fort Scott CC) to end the inning. 

In the seventh, Alex Eyman reached on a two-out single to right, but Craig would end the game by forcing McKena Woolery to pop up tp Snyder to end the game and seal her fourth win of the season. 

Craig (4-5) pitched the final 3.2 innings in relief of Kaitlyn Johnson and allowed four hits and no runs, while walking one and fanning two. Johnson allowed six hits and four runs in 3.1 innings of work, whole walking one and fanning one. 

McDaniel (6-4) took the loss in the circle for the Tigers as she tossed six innings and allowed six hits and five runs (two earned), while striking out one and walking none.

Webster finished with six hits in the nightcap and Burroughs added three RBI in the win. 

IWU recorded 10 hits, including Kayla Ford going 3-for-3 at the plate, while Eyman and Woolery each had two hits in the loss. 

The Tigers committed three errors and left eight runners on base. 

Meanwhile, in the opener, IWU jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the first inning as Ford, who led off the game with a double to center, scored a run on an fielding error by Kaitlyn Johnson at first base. 

The Tigers lead grew to 3-0 in the third inning thanks to a 2-run single by Eyman off of Craig, who started for the Gorloks in the circle. 

Webster would begin to chip away at IWU's lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as they used two hits and an error to plate its first run of the game.

IWU pushed its lead to 8-1 in the top of the fifth inning as they sent nine hitters to the plate and used five hits and a Gorlok error to plate five runs. The big hits in the inning were a 2-run double by Morgan Christner and a 2-run single by Taylor Johnson, both of which came off of Arias, who relieved Craig earlier in the fifth inning. 

The Gorloks used back-to-back doubles by freshman shortstop Sheyla Iniguez (Riverside, Calif./Bloomington) and Burroughs to plate a run and then added a second run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman leftfielder Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin). 

IWU increased its lead to 9-3 in the top of the sixth as they scored without the benefit of a hit thanks to a hit by pitch, stolen base, error and a ground out. 

Webster would rally to score four runs off of six hits and an error in the bottom of the sixth to pull within 9-7. In the inning, Haley Johnson singled to right with one out, moved to second on a single by Snyder and would score when Kaitlyn Johnson laid down a bunt and on the play, Eyman at second made an error. Iniguez would follow with an RBI single and Burroughs would then follow with another RBI single for WU's third run of the inning. After Jackson singled up the middle to load the bases, Arias followed with an RBI single to left to plate WU's fourth run of the inning. 

The Tigers complete the scoring in the top of the seventh as they used two hits and scored an insurance run on a wild pitch by Arias to push IWU in front, 10-7. 

Webster wouldn't score in the bottom of the seventh to seal IWU's victory and snap Webster's two game win streak. 

Craig (3-5) took the loss as she pitched four plus innings and allowed six hits and six runs (five earned), while walking one and fanning two. Arias would pitch the final three innings and allowed five hits and four runs (three earned), while walking two and fanning three. 

Christner (10-3) picked up the win in the complete game in the circle for IWU as she allowed 13 hits and seven runs (five earned), while walking one and fanning seven. Christner entered the game with a 2.18 ERA as she had allowed just 28 runs in 70.2 innings on the season. 

Webster finished with 13 hits, including a 3-for-3 effort by Iniguez, while Burroughs, Arias, Morlan and Haley Johnson each had two hits in the setback.

IWU recorded 11 hits in the win including three hits each by Ford and Eyman. Ford and Machholz each scored three runs and Eyman scored two runs and 2 RBI in the win. 

Both teams committed three errors and left a combined 14 runners on base as Webster stranded eight and IWU left six on base.

The Gorloks will return to action on Saturday, April 13 as they close out the home portion of its 2019 schedule with a SLIAC doubleheader against Eureka College. The doubleheader with Eureka at Blackburn Park is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. with the second game to follow about 30 minutes after completion of the first game.