LEESBURG, Fla. - Webster University continued play here Tuesday at the 2020 PFX Spring Games by dropping both of games on the day at the Sleepy Hollow Athletic Complex.
 

Webster, who has now lost three games in row on the season, opened play on Tuesday with a 6-1 loss to Swarthmore College and then fell 6-3 in its second game of the day to Millikin University.

With the two setbacks, Webster's record falls to 5-7 on the season heading into Wednesday's final two games of the five-day, 10-game Spring Break trip to Florida against UMass-Dartmouth and Concordia-Chicago.

On the day, Webster recorded a total of eight hits, but saw its defense commit three errors that led to three unearned runs and leave a combined nine runners on bases, including stranding six runners against Swarthmore.

Against Swarthmore (6-2), the Garnet got off the offense they would need in the first inning as they nine hitters to the plate and tallied four runs on five hits to take a 4-0 lead in the game. Five of Swarthmore's first six batters reached base against junior Kirbie Mendenhall (Robinson, Ill./Parkland College) and four of those six scored in the inning. The big hit in the inning came with two outs as Kate Hart drilled a pitch from Mendenhall to left center that was caught up in the fence for a ground ruled double. Hart's double brought the final two runs of the inning.

That four run cushion is all Swarthmore starting pitcher Gwen Glatz (2-0) needed as she limited the Gorloks to five hits, including a ground ruled double to sophomore shortstop Sheyla Iniguez (Riverside, Calif./Bloomington). Glatz would allow one unearned run in the game, while walking one and striking out three.

Webster would prevent a shutout by Glatz in the fifth inning as senior centerfielder Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State) reached on a one out single to right and moved to second on an error by the Garnet's rightfielder Sam Hastings. After Iniguez reached on a single to put Craig at third, senior catcher Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad) brought home Craig with her sacrifice fly to center to cut Swarthmore's lead to 4-1.

The Garnet, though, would add two more runs in the top of the sixth off of freshman Alexandria Cafolla (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood West). In the sixth, Hart reached on an error by senior third baseman Avery Boccella (Gilbert, Ariz./Trinidad State), moved to third on a ground rule double by Mika Maenaga and both runners would score when Gabriella Natoli hit a 2-run double to left center.

In the sixth, the Gorloks put a runner on base thanks to a two-out infield single by Mendenhall, but Glatz would retire the Gorloks in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win.

Mendenhall (1-1) took the loss for the Gorloks as she tossed 2.1 innings and allowed six hits and four runs, while walking one and striking out two.

Iniguez paced Webster's offense with two of their five hits, while Natoli and Glatz each had two hits for the Garnet in the win.

The teams combined to leave 13 runners on base as Swarthmore stranded seven and Webster left six on base. Swarthmore also committed three errors in the game and turned a double play.
 

Meanwhile, in the second game of the day against Millikin, Webster jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against the Big Blue thanks to three hits and two Millikin errors. In the inning, Iniguez and Burroughs both reached base by errors to open the game and the next batter, freshman first baseman Ashlee Seltzer (Castle Pines, Colo./Rock Canyon) followed with a 2-run double to right center. Following Seltzer's single, sophomore leftfielder Emma Steltzer (Manchester, Mo./University of New Mexico) was hit by a pitch and senior third baseman Avery Boccella (Gilbert, Ariz./Trinidad State) reached on a single to load the bases, before sophomore second baseman Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin) delievered an RBI single to plated Webster's third run. Addison Sargent would relieve Gracie Brookens, who didn't record an out, and get out of the jam for the Big Blue without allowing a run. 

Millikin got on the scoreboard in the third inning on an RBI single by Grace Biondo and then took the lead after scoring four runs on five hits and an error in the fourth inning. In  the inning, Skielyr Trenkle led off with a home run and then later in the inning, the Big Blue took the lead on a 2-run single to left center by Kalli Farmer. 

In the fifth, Millikin added its sixth and final run thanks to a single and an RBI double by Trenkle. 

Sargent (2-0) would retire 18 of the 21 batters she faced as she didn't allow a hit and walked just three and recorded seven strikeouts in her seven innings of work. 

Cafolla (1-2) took the loss in the circle for the Gorloks as she pitched one inning and allowed five hits and three runs (two earned runs), while striking out one and walking none. 

The Gorloks had just three hits against Millikin, while Millikin had 10 hits, including two each from Farmer, Biondo and Trenkle. 

Despite the loss, Webster can see how far the program has progressed since the begininng of last season as the Gorloks were swept in a doubleheader last season at Millikin by a combined 26-0, and this season, the Gorloks scored three runs and held them to six runs. 

The Gorloks will conclude play at the PFX Spring Games on Wednesday, March 11 with a 10:15 a.m. CT game against UMass-Dartmouth and a 12:30 p.m. CT game against Concordia-Chicago at Legends Way Complex in Clermont, Fla.