SAUGET, Ill. - The No. 3-ranked Webster Baseball team split the first two games of its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference four-game series with Spalding University here Saturday at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. 

Webster opened Saturday's doubleheader by posting a 10-2 win in the first game, before the Golden Eagles would pick up a 5-2 win in the second game of the twinbill. 

With the doubleheader, Webster is now 11-3 overall and 7-1 in the SLIAC, while Spalding is now 7-6 overall and 5-1 in the league.

For the doubleheader, Webster's offense collected a total of 20 hits and the 10 runs in the opener were the second most runs scored in a game this season as Webster scored 16 runs in the opener of its series last weekend at Blackburn. 

Four of those 20 hits came from graduate student All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) was he was 4-for-10, while fourth-year junior All-American third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and fifth-year senior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) each had three hits and combined to score four runs. 

In the opener, graduate student All-American pitcher Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) continued his strong season on the mound as he pitched eight innings and allowed eight hits and two runs, while striking out nine and walking none to move to 5-0 on the season. Mulhearn has now recorded seven or more strikeouts in all five of his starts and he has not walked a batter in three of five starts. 

Spalding committed five errors in the doubleheader, including three in the first game that led to five unearned runs. 

The Gorloks were also 5-for-5 on stolen bases and were hit by six pitches. On the season, Webster has been hit by 27 pitches in 14 games, including third-year sopohmore second baseman Mitch Daniels (Columbia, Ill./Columbia) being hit by a team-high seven pitches. Daniels was hit by three pitches on Saturday.

In addition, both teams struggled with runners on base in the doubleheader as both teams combined to leave 29 runners on base as Webster left 19 and Spalding stranded 10. The Gorloks also turned three double plays. 

Game 1: No. 3 Webster 10, Spalding 2

The first game was expected to be a pitcher's duel between Mulhearn and Spalding's Jack Parisi as the two pitchers entered the game sporting season ERA's under 0.70 and the two pitchers didn't disappoint for most of the game. 

In the first three innings of the game, both pitchers had allowed a total of four base runners, including three by Webster and had combined for five strikeouts, including four by Mulhearn. 

The Gorloks would finally break through against Parisi in the bottom of the fourth as they used three hits, an error and a wild pitch to plate two runs. In the inning, Swords and Kent opened the inning with back-to-back singles and after both runners advanced on a bunt by fifth-year senior designated hitter A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin). With Daniels at-bat, Parisi uncorked a wild pitch to score Swords with the first run of the game and added a second run when Daniels scored Kent with a sacrifice bunt. 

Webster pushed its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth as freshman catcher R.J. LaRocco (San Diego, Calif./Point Loma) reached on a one-out single to right center, moved to second when Swords drew a walk and with Kent at the plate, Swords and LaRocco executed a double steal on the play, LaRocco would score on an throwing error by Spalding catcher Zane Baker. 

It appeared like Mulhearn was cruising towards another start without allowing a run until the eighth when the 6-foot-3 righthander ran into trouble as he allowed a 2-run homer to Evan Trentman that cleared the fence in right to pull Spalding within a run at 3-2. The homer was the first allowed by Mulhearn this season. 

The Gorloks would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth as they sent 11 hitters to plate and scored seven runs on two hits, two hit batsmen, two walks and a wild pitch to push in front 10-2. The big hit in the inning was a 2-run double to right center by Smith, while the other hit was an RBI single up the middle off the bat of fourth-year junior rightfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College). 

In the ninth, fifth-year senior Cooper Hake (Lincoln, Ill./IU-South Bend) replaced Mulhearn on the mound after he threw a season-high 134 pitches. Hake would allow two hits, but wouldn't allow a run to score and had one strikeout. 

Mulhearn's ERA increased to 1.03 on the season as he has now recorded 49 strikeouts and walked just three in 35 innings of work. Mulhearn has now recorded 276 career strikeouts and that ranks fourth in SLIAC history. 

Parisi (2-2) took the loss for Spalding as he allowed nine hits and five runs (two earned), while walking two and striking out five. Logan Koch, who replaced Parisi after he walked Smith and hit Daniels with a pitch to open the eighth, allowed one hit and five runs (three earned runs), while walking two and striking out none.

Lovell, Smith and second-year freshman leftfielder Landon Vahle (Lee's Summit, Mo./St. Michael Archangel) each had two hits, while LaRocco and Swords each scored two runs and drew a combined three walks, including Swords walking two times. 

LaRocco had two stolen bases, while Swords and Smith each had a stolen base in the win. 

Trentman, JT Johnson and Mitchell Langley each had two hits to pace Spalding. The Gorloks held Eric Meyer, who entered the game hitting .600 on the season, was 0-for-4 at the plate against Mulhearn. 
 

Game 2: Spalding 5, #3 Webster 2
In the nightcap, Spalding wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard as they plated two runs on two hits against freshman starter J.T. Miller (Centennial, Colo./Regis Jesuit) to take a 2-0 lead. 

Miller, who entered the game with an 0.50 ERA, would allow another run in the top of the third that gave Spalding a 3-0 lead before being replaced by sophomore pitcher Alex Foppe (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary's) following an intentional walk to Meyer. 

In his 2.1 innings of work, Miller (1-1) allowed four hits and three runs, all of which were earned, while walking two and striking out two. Miller's ERA is now 1.77 on the season.

After being held hitless in the first two innings, the Gorloks would finally record a hit in the bottom of the third off of Spalding hurler Caleb Collins as Hopp hit a one-out single through the left side. 

The Golden Eagles' lead grew to 5-0 in the fifth thanks to RBI singles by Meyer off of third-year sophomore Joey Marko (Winfield, Mo./Winfield) and Langley off of fourth-year junior Andrew Padilla (Burbank, Ill./Reavis). 

Much like Mulhearn in the opener for Webster, Collins was also on his game in the nightcap as he pitched eight inning and allowed nine hits and two runs, while walking one and fanning five. 

Collins (1-1) ran into some trouble in the bottom of the eighth as Webster collected four hits and scored two runs to cut Spalding's lead to 5-2. In the inning, LaRocco, Swords and Kent each recorded back-to-back-to-back singles to open the inning. After Collins forced Smith to pop up to third for the first out, Daniels would deliver a 2-run double to left center and then fourth-year junior shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Collins would get out of the jam by getting Vahle to line out to shallow right and then end the inning by striking out Hopp. 

Aaron Blake would replace Collins in the ninth and he worked around an error to earn his first save.

Kent went 3-for-5 and Swords was 2-for-5 at the plate in the nightcap. Hopp also added two hits in the second game. 

Webster stranded 11 runners on base, while Spalding left four on base. 

Michael Newsom had three hits and scored three runs in the nightcap, while Trentman added two hits and scored two runs.