JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - Webster University extended its win streak in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play to four straight games here Saturday by taking both ends of a doubleheader against MacMurray College at Don Timm Field on the MacMurray College campus.

The 19th and 22nd-ranked Gorlloks opened the doubleheader with a 5-2 win behind a complete game nine strikeout performance from junior hurler Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) and then used three hits from sophomore third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and three runs scored by junior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) to earn an 8-0 win in the nightcap.

With the two wins, Webster improves to 17-8 overall and 7-3 in the SLIAC, while MacMurray falls to 4-17 overall and 0-5 in the league. Since getting swept at Spalding to open SLIAC play on March 20, the Gorloks have won seven of its last last eight league games, including winning four consecutive league contests since a 3-1 loss at Westminster last Sunday. 

On the day, Webster's offense finished with 17 hits, including five hits by Swords and two hits, three runs scored and 4 RBI by Hopp. 

In the opener, the Highlanders struck first as they used a double by Brendan Schanz and an RBI single by Mason Hale off of Mulhearn to take an early 1-0 lead. 

The Highlanders lead grew to 2-0 in the bottom of the second on a one-out solo home run over the fence in left by Alec Taylor. The homer by Taylor was the first allowed this season by Mulhearn.

MacMurray would hang onto to the lead for the next three innings, until the sixth when the Gorloks offense used three hits and two MacMurray errors to plate five runs and take a 5-2 lead. The first two runs came home on a 2-run homer to right center off the bat of junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro). The homer by Kent was his second of the season. 

Following Kent's homer, redshirt junior leftfielder A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) reached on a single, moved to second on a error by pitcher Hayden Radford on a groundout by sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine). Radford would then load the bases after hitting junior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) with a pitch. With senior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University), Radford would uncork a wild pitch that gave the Gorloks a 3-2 lead. A little later in the inning, Hopp would deliver a 2-run double off of MacMurray reliever Charlie Brauch to left center to give Webster a 5-2 lead.

Mulhearn would then do the rest for the Gorloks as he retired the Highlanders in order in the sixth and worked around a one-out single in the seventh to retire the final two MacMurray hitters in order to seal the win and improve his record to 5-1 on the year.

For the game, Mulhearn tossed his first complete game of the season as he scattered five hits and allowed two runs, while striking out a season high tying nine and walking none in his 93 pitch outing.

Smith went 3-for-3 at the plate, while Swords added two hits as the Gorloks had eight hits in the win. 

Five Highlanders had a hit in the loss.

Radford (2-3) took the loss as he pitched 5.1 innings and allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned), while walking two and striking out five. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to RBI singles by Swords and Kent off of MacMurray hurler Anthony Clark.

The Gorloks pushed its lead to 5-0 in the second inning as they rapped out five hits and scored three runs. In the inning, sophomore second baseman Kellen Quigley (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) reached on a one-out single, moved to second on a steal and scored on an RBI single by Hopp. Webster would load the bases as senior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) reached on a bunt single. Swords would then deliver an RBI single for the second run of the inning and Kent brought home the third run on a sacrifice fly to left. 

Kent gave the Gorloks a 6-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to center in the top of the fourth inning. Kent's fly ball scored Hopp, who had walked to lead off the inning, before moving to second on a wild pitch and reaching third on single to left by Swords. 

The Gorloks added two more runs in the fifth on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Staker and Hopp. 

In the sixth, MacMurray loaded the bases thanks to a walk and two singles, but sophomore Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) got out of the jam by forcing Alec Lyle to hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Anderson replaced sophomore Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) at the start of the sixth after allowing just three hits and no runs, while walking three and striking out five in five innings. Beaver earned the win and improved to 2-3 on the season.

The Gorloks next three pitchers would not allow a hit and recorded five strikeouts over the final three innings to seal Webster's second shutout win. 

Webster finished with nine hits in the nightcap as Swords went 3-for-5, while Quigley added two hits and Hopp scored three runs and had 2 RBI in the game.

MacMurray had five hits in the nightcap, including two hits by both Taylor Coleman and Taylor. 

Clark (2-3) took the loss for the Highlanders on the mound as he tossed four innings and allowed eight hits and six runs (six earned), while walking three and fanning none. 

The Gorloks will now take a week off before returning to action next weekend at home with a three-game SLIAC series at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., against Iowa Wesleyan. The two teams will play a single game on Saturday, April 13 at 3 p.m. and then conclude the series on Sunday, April 14 with doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.