SAUGET, Ill. - Webster University stepped out of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play here Wednesday as the 19th-ranked Gorloks dropped both ends of a non-conference baseball doubleheader to Rhodes College at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. 

With the two losses, Webster's record moves to 15-7 overall on the season, while Rhodes, who ended the Gorloks season last year in the NCAA Division III Central Regional, improved to 17-13 on the year.

In Wednesday's doubleheader, Webster's offense recorded 21 hits, but left a total of 19 runners stranded on base and has now left 211 runners on base through 23 games this year. The Gorloks, who are ranked 19th and 22nd respectively in the latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA/D3Baseball.com polls, is leaving an average of 9.2 runners on base per game.

During its school record 38 win campaign a year ago, Webster left just 346 runners on base in 48 games and averaged 7.2 runners stranded per game. 

On the day, freshman rightfielder Brandon Dryer (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) had three hits in the nightcap, while redshirt junior A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) had two hits in each game and also had three RBI in the opener. 

In Wednesday's opener, Rhodes jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first inning as they used two hits and two walks to plate two runs off of redshirt freshman Joey Marko (Winfield, Mo./Winfield), who was making his first career collegiate start on the mound. All of Rhodes' scoring came after Marko retired the first Lynx hitters in order. 

The Lynx lead grew to 4-0 in the fourth inning thanks to a 2-run homer by Peter York over the fence in right field off of junior Garrett Davis (Geneva, Ill./Elgin CC), who replaced Marko on the mound after he hit Will Huertin with a pitch to open the fourth.

Webster, though, would respond in the bottom of the fourth thanks a 2-run homer over the fence in right by Smith off of John Ganucheau, who started on the mound for the Lynx. Smith's homer came one batter after junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) walked to open the frame.

The Gorloks pulled within 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to right center by Smith. Smith's single scored sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine), who reached on a single to open the inning and moved to second on an error by John Fears, who was the second Rhodes pitcher, on a failed pickoff attempt.

Rhodes, who advanced the championship game of the Central Tournament hosted by Webster last May before falling to eventual D-III National Champion Texas-Tyler, pushed its lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh as they used three hits and an error to score two runs. 

In the eighth, senior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) brought home WU's fourth run on his double to left center that scored junior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West), who had reached on a fielder's choice. 

The Gorloks would pull within 6-5 in the ninth on an RBI groundout by Kent, which plated Staker, who had reached on a one out single to left center to open the inning. Kent's hit put runners on first and second with two out, but Jacob Dubs would force Smith to ground out to end the game and preserve his first save of the season. 

In his first career start, Marko (0-1) went three-plus innings and allowed three hits and three runs, while walking two and fanning none. 

The Gorloks used a total of seven pitchers in the game as they combined to walk seven, record three strikeouts and allow eight hits. 

Alex Garrett (1-1), the third Rhodes pitcher, earned the win as he pitched 3.2 innings and allowed five hits and one run, while striking out one and walking none. 

Webster finished with 11 hits in the game as Staker, Smith and Strohm each had two hits, while Smith had three RBI to take over the team RBI lead with 17 on the season. 

Rhodes had eight hits, including Wood Kimbrough recording two of those eight hits. Ben Wilson and York each had 2 RBI in the win. 

In the game, Webster left nine runners on base, while Rhodes stranded 10 and each team had an error. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Rhodes jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the second thanks to a steal of home by Jake Stacy on a double steal attempt. 

The Lynx lead grew to 2-0 in the third inning as they used a walk, a wild pitch and RBI single to right by Jacob Telli off of freshman hurler Dakota Borman (Freeport, Ill./Highland CC). 

Webster, though, would tie the game in the bottom of the third as Kent drilled a 1-1 pitch from Carter King over the wall in right for his first home run of the season. Kent's homer came two batters after Dryer had led off the inning with a single to right and moved to second on an error by Rhodes' rightfielder Nick Bosma. 

Rhodes would retake the lead in the fourth inning thanks to a 2-run single by Paul Giacomazzi off of Borman. Giacomazzi's double would chase Borman from the game and bring senior Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton CC) out of the bullpen. 

In the fifth and sixth innings, Webster left two runners on base in each inning and then watched the Lynx add an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single by Brady John off of Santiago. John's single scored York, who reached on a pinch hit single up the middle to open the inning.

The Gorloks would put runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't get either of those runners to score. 

King (3-2), who replaced Nathan Mirochnick on the mound after Mirochnick was injured just two pitches into the third inning, earned the win as he pitched three innings and allowed five hits and two runs, while striking out five and walking none. Ben Coulthard picked up the save as he pitched around a single in the ninth by Dryer and had a strikeout.

Borman (1-1) took the loss for the Gorloks as he pitched 3.2 innings and allowed six hits and four runs (four earned), while walking two and striking out three. 

Webster recorded 10 hits in the nightcap with three of them coming from Dryer. In addition to Dryer's three hits, Smith had two hits and Kent had two RBI in the loss. 

John had two of Rhodes' eight hits in the win. 

The Lynx committed three errors and left six runners on base. The Gorloks stranded 10 runners on base in the nightcap.

Webster will return to SLIAC action on Saturday, April 6 as they travel to Jacksonville, Ill., for a doubleheader at MacMurray College. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.