AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Webster University Baseball continued play here Monday in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational by rallying from 6-0 deficit to post a 12-9 victory over Westfield State at the Lake Myrtle Complex. 

With the win, the No. 2 ranked Gorloks improved to 5-3 on the season, while Westfield State falls to 1-4 on the season. 

Monday's win came almost 24 hours after the Gorloks were held to four hits in a 5-0 loss to Aurora University, but in Monday's game, the Gorloks offense pounded out 11 hits and outscored Westfield State, 12-3 over the final seven innings of the game to earn the come-from-behind win.

In Monday's win, freshman second baseman Mitch Daniels (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) paced the Gorloks as he was 3-for-5 at the plate, while senior designated hitter A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and 2 RBI and freshman leftfielder Landon Vahle (Lee's Summit, Mo./St. Michael Archangel) also had two hits, along with scoring two runs and driving in two runs. Overall, Webster got base hits from seven of its nine starters. 

The Owls jumped in front 6-0 in the top of the first inning against Gorlok sophomore starter Brendan May (St. Louis, Mo./St. John Vianney) as Westfield State loaded the bases with three straight singles off of May, who only recorded two outs before being replaced by sophomore Alex Foppe (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary's). In fact, seven of the first nine Owl hitters reached base either by hit or walk as WSU sent 11 hitters to the plate in the inning. The biggest hit of the inning was a 2-run single off the bat of Bryant Dana. 

Trailing 6-0, the Gorloks would begin its comeback in the top of the third inning as junior shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) opened the inning by getting hit by a pitch and after Daniels recorded the first out on a pop up, senior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) reached on a single to left and after junior rightfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) reached on an error to load the bases, Vahle followed with a 2-run single up the middle to cut WSU's lead to 6-2. 

The Gorloks would add two more runs in the fourth inning on a towering home run just right of the light tower in right field. Smith's homer came after senior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) walked to open the inning. 

Webster would add five more runs to its tally as they took a 9-6 lead in the fifth inning. In the inning, the Gorloks had hits from Vahle and Daniels, took advantage of an Owl error and also were hit by two pitches, including Staker being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, to score their five runs. 

WSU tallied a run in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to an RBI single by Dana off of Foppe and the added another run in the bottom of the sixth on a error by Foppe on a failed pickoff attempt to pull within 9-8. 

A single and stolen base by Smith, along with a groundout and a squeeze bunt by Staker that plated Smith gave the Gorloks a 10-8 lead in the top of the seventh inning. 

In the eighth, the Gorloks added two more runs on an RBI single by junior All-American third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and an RBI double by Kent to push its lead to 12-8. 

The Owls made things interesting in the ninth as they loaded the bases against junior reliever Bobby Strandt (Frisco, Texas/University of Arkansas) thanks to a single, a hit batsman and a walk that chased Strandt from the game and senior All-American pitcher Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) came out of the bullpen and he would retire the first batter he faced on an infield fly and then Mulhearn issued a walk to Dana with the bases loaded to push WSU within three at 12-9, but Mulhearn would get out of the jam by getting pinch hitter Kyle Darby to pop up to end the game and seal his second save of the season.

Foppe (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Gorloks as he tossed 5.1 innings and allowed six hits and three runs (two earned), while walking three and striking out five. 

In fact, Webster's bullpen after May lasted only two-thirds of an inning, pitched 8.1 innings and allowed seven hits, four runs, (three earned), while walking five and striking out six. 

Vincenzo Camera (0-1) took the loss for the Owls as he tossed 4.2 innings and allowed seven hits and nine runs (seven earned), while walking three and striking out none. 

The Owls had 12 hits on the day, including Steve Saucier going 3-for-5 at the plate with 2 RBI, while Sean Moorhouse, Casey Boudreau and Dana each had two hits and Dana finished with 4 RBI. 

Both teams combined to leave 15 runners on base as Westfield State left nine on base and Webster stranded six. 

The Gorloks also had five stolen bases, including two from Lovell. 

Webster will return to action on Tuesday, March 10 as they travel to Saint Leo, Fla., to face Concordia-Chicago in a 9 a.m. ET game at Southard Stadium on the Saint Leo University campus. The two teams will conclude the game on March 1 that was halted in the top of the 10th tied at 1-all due to lightning and following the completion of the halted game, the two teams will play a nine inning game.