MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Webster University completed its three game slate to open the 2020 baseball season here Sunday afternoon as two unearned runs in the third by 11th-ranked Coe College proved to be the difference in the No. 2 ranked Gorloks 3-1 loss to the Kohawks at Stauffer Field on the Rhodes College campus. 

With the setback, Webster falls to 1-2 on the season, while Coe picks up its first win of the year and is now 1-2 on the year. 

In an early season match-up between two Top 15 nationally-ranked teams that have aspirations of reaching the Division III World Series in late May, the two teams combined for 21 hits and committed a total of three errors, including two errors by Coe starting pitcher Jack Greene. 

But it was an error in the third inning from Webster senior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) that proved to the difference as Kent's error on a ball hit by Riley Legrand would ultimately lead Coe scoring two unearned runs in the inning. The two runs gave the Kohawks a 2-1 lead in the game. 

The Gorloks opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as they took advantage of an error by Greene to score an unearned run and take a 1-0 lead. In the inning, junior rightfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) led off with a single, would advance to second on a stolen base and scored when freshman centerfielder Landon Vahle (Lee's Summit, Mo./St. Michael Archangel) reached on a single and on the play, Vahle advanced to second on an error by Greene and that error allowed Lovell to score on the play. 

In the second inning, Webster put runners on with back-to-back one out singles by senior catcher Joe Swanson (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine West) and Kent and would load the bases on batter later when junior second baseman Jake Knoebel (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East) reached on another error by Greene. Greene, though, would get out of the bases loaded jam as he forced sophomore designated hitter Zach Goodman (Greenville Village, Colo./Arapahoe) to ground into a double play. 

Coe, who advanced to the NCAA Division III Super Regionals last season that was hosted by Birmingham Southern, would drew back-to-back one out walks and then after Legrand reached on Kent's error that led to the first run of the game for the Kohawks. The following hitter, Jordan Kaplan, would deliver an RBI single off of junior hurler Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch), who earned the start on the mound for the Gorloks, that scored the second unearned run to give Coe a 2-1 lead. 

The Gorloks would put two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth thanks to singles by senior leftfielder A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) and Knoebel, but neither runner would score in the inning. 

Coe would push its lead to 3-1 in the fifth as they recorded three singles to load bases, including back-to-back singles to open the frame off of sophomore reliever Alex Foppe (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary's) and after senior Dakota Borman (Freeport, Ill./Highland CC), who relieved Foppe, would get Kaplan to foul out for the first out of the inning, Borman would walk in a run as Daniel Berger drew a bases loaded walk for an RBI. Sophomore Joey Marko (Winfield, Mo./Winfield) would come out of the bullpen and prevent any further damage in the inning. 

Webster would once again put two runners on base in the sixth inning thanks a leadoff walk issued to junior shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) and a sinlge by Smith, but Greene would leave those runners stranded and keep the score a 3-1 in Coe's favor. 

The Kohawks appeared the have a chance to add more runs to its scoring total in the top of the seventh as they recorded three straight two out singles to load the bases against Marko, but Marko would keep the bases loaded as he ended the inning by forcing Kyle Alvarado to fly out to right. 

Coe put two more runners on base in the eighth against freshman reliever Jordan Smevoll (Dyer, Ind./Marian Catholic) thanks a walk and a single, but the southpaw would retire the next three Coe hitters in order to end the inning. 

Back-to-back singles from Smith and Swanson with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but the next Gorloks would be retired to end the inning with two runners on base. 

Smith paced Webster's offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, while Swanson added two hits in four at-bats as the Gorloks had nine hits in the game. 

Luke Smailes had three of Coe's 12 hits, while Isaac Evans added two hits to pace the Kohawks. 

Both teams struggled with runners on base as they stranded a combined 24 runners on base as Coe left 14 and Webster stranded 10. In addition, both teams turned a double play.

Beaver (0-1) took the loss for the Gorloks as he tossed three innings and allowed three hits and two unearned runs, while walking three and striking out two. Webster's bullpen combined to pitch six innings and allowed nine hits, one run, while walking three and also fanning three. 

Greene (1-0) picked up the win on the mound for Coe as he pitched six innings and allowed seven hits and one unearned run, while striking out five and walking two. T.J. Johnson picked up the save as he pitched the ninth inning and struck out all three batters he faced. 

The Gorloks will return to action this coming Friday, Feb. 28 as they open the home portion of its 2020 schedule with a 2 p.m. game at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., against preseason 31st-ranked Concordia-Chicago, who the Gorloks defeated twice in two games at last year's Super Regional hosted by the Cougars.