MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Webster University opened its 2020 baseball season here Friday afternoon by scoring five runs in the 10th inning to earn an 8-3 victory over Transylvania University at Stauffer Field on the campus of Rhodes College. 

With the win, Webster, who is ranked No. 2 in both the Preseason ABCA/Collegiate Baseball poll and D3Baseball.com/NCBWA polls, has now won seven consecutive openers since suffering a 3-2 loss at WashU to open the 2013 season, while Transylvania falls to 0-1 on the year.

In Friday's game, the Gorloks led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Pioneers scored three unearned runs thanks to two hits and two Gorlok errors to tie the game and force extra innings. It was the first extra inning game for the Gorloks since playing a 10 inning game early last season against Buena Vista.

Webster, though, would come right back in the top of the 10th inning as they took advantage of two errors, two walks, a wild pitch and two hits to plate five runs and take an 8-3 lead. The first run in the inning came in as a result an error, a bunt single and another error by Transylvania pitcher Ashton Plymale. The next run came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) and then Transylvania reliever Jared Leuthart issued intentional walks to both junior All-American third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and senior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) to load the bases. Senior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) followed Kent's walk with a 2-run single through the left side to give WU a 7-3 lead and the final run of the inning from Kent would come home on a wild pitch from Leuthart. 

Sophomore Brendan May (St. Louis, Mo./St. John's Vianney) would take over on the mound in the bottom of the 10th and recorded two strikeouts and allowed one hit to earn the win in relief. May would strike out the first batter he faced and after allowing a single to Parker Tuszynski, he got the second out on a ground ball to second and then struck out Devyn Wilson-Cowan to end the game. 

It appeared early on in Friday's game, the Gorloks wouldn't need extra innings as the Gorloks opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as Kent drew a bases loaded walk that allowed Staker to score the first run of the season. Staker had walked with one out earlier in the inning. 

The Gorloks lead grew to 3-0 in the third inning thanks to a 2-run single from Vahle that plated both Kent and Swanson, who had reached on back-to-back singles through the left side to open the frame. 

From that point, Webster turned the game over to senior All-American hurler Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) as he would retire 18 of the next 20 batters he faced from the bottom of the third to the bottom of the eighth as he walked Riley Wilburn in the fourth and allowed a lead-off single in the eighth to Michael Blair, but Blair would later be retired on a double play to end the eighth. 

For the game, Mulhearn pitched eight shutout innings as he allowed three hits, walked one and struck out five in earning a no-decision. 

Mulhearn was poised to earn the win holding a 3-0 lead, but the Gorloks bullpen would allow two hits and three unearned runs in the ninth thanks to errors by junior reliever Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) and senior leftfielder A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin). 

The Gorloks finished the game with 10 hits, including a 3-for-5 effort at the plate from Swanson, while Vahle was also 3-for-5 at the plate in his collegiate debut. Kent, who had a hit, scored two of Webster's eight runs as he drew two walks on the day, while Swords also had a hit and drew two walks. 

Transylvania got six hits from six different players in the loss. 

Plymale (0-1) took the loss for the Pioneers as he pitched two innings and allowed three hits and three runs (two earned runs). 

The Pioneers pitchers recorded six walks, hit four Gorloks and struck out nine in the season opener.

Webster, who stole four bases in the win and left 14 runners on base, will return to the diamond on Saturday, Feb. 22 as they face Rhodes College in a 2 p.m. game.