GREENVILLE, Ill. - Webster University continued its strong play in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play here Friday evening as the No. 2/No. 4 ranked Gorloks posted back-to-back 11-0 wins in eight innings to sweep a doubleheader from Greenville University at Robert E. Smith Field.

With the doubleheader sweep, Webster improves its record to 21-5 overall and 16-2 in the SLIAC and extends its win streak in league play to seven consecutive games, while Greenville falls to 4-19 overall and 4-10 in the league. 

Both of the Friday's game were halted after eight innings due to the 10-run mercy rule as the Gorloks scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to post the 11-0 win in the opener and then scored two runs in the top of the eighth in the nightcap to post the 11-0 win. 

Webster's two wins are aided by an offense that recorded 23 hits on the day, including 10 extra-base hits and scored 11 runs in each game. 

While its offense strong on Friday, the wins were also keyed by strong starting pitching from fifth-year senior All-American Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) and second-year freshman Jordan Smevoll (Dyer, Ind./Marian Catholic). Mulhearn was one out from tossing his second no-hitter this season as he allowed a 2-out double to Tanner Gerdes in the bottom of the eighth inning, before ending the game by forcing River Baker to ground out to short to post his seventh win of the season, while Smevoll allowed just two hits and struck out eight in five innings to improve to 6-0 on the season, before being replaced in the sixth by third-year junior Bobby Strandt (Frisco, Texas/University of Arkansas). 

In his eight inning near-gem, Mulhearn (7-1 on the year) recorded 10 strikeouts and didn't walk a batter in his 88 pitch outing. The 10 strikeouts pushed Mulhearn's career total to 310, which is third most in SLIAC history and his win pushed him within one of Webster's career win mark of 30 that is held by Isaac Behme. Mulhearn has now pitched seven or more innings in six of his eight starts and has struck out 10 or more batters in four of his starts and has not walked a hitter in four of his eight starts on the year. Mulhearn, who has recorded 83 strikeouts and walked just five in 59 innings on the year, lowered his season ERA to 1.07.

Webster opened the scoring in Friday's opening game in the top of the second as fifth-year designated hitter A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) led off the inning with his team-leading fifth home run of the season off of Greenville starter Jaxen Gibson.

The Gorloks lead grew to 2-0 in the top of the third inning as fourth-year junior rightfielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) reached on a one-out double down the left field line and would score after fourth-year junior All-American third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) drilled an RBI double to right center. 

Webster pushed its lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to an RBI double by third-year sophomore catcher Zach Goodman (Greenwood Village, Colo./Arapahoe) and a sacrifice fly off the bat of third-year sophomore second baseman Mitch Daniels (Columbia, Ill./Columbia).

That 4-0 lead would be all the run support Mulhearn would need as he allowed just two base runners in the game with the first one coming in the bottom of the fourth as Drew Frey struck out, but reached first on a wild pitch and would eventually third base with one out, before Mulhearn retired the next Greenville hitters to keep Frey stranded at third. 

Webster added three more runs in the top of the seventh to take a 7-0 lead thanks to two hits, a walk and a hit batsman. The big hit in the inning was an RBI double by fifth-year senior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College). The other two runs scored when both Smith and Goodman were hit by pitches with the bases loaded. 

The Gorloks would then use one hit, an error, two walks, a wild pitch and two hit batsmen to plate four runs to push in front 11-0. The only hit in the inning was an RBI double down the right field line by Hopp, who recorded two of Webster's six extra base hits in the opener. 

Mulhearn stepped to the mound in the bottom of the eighth needing just three more outs to pick his second career no-hitter as his first came two weeks ago at Eureka. He opened the eighth by striking out both Parker Panich and George Schneider for two quick outs, but Gerdes took the first pitch he saw and drilled a double to left center to break up the no-hitter, but Mulhearn would end the game by getting Baker to ground out to short. 

In addition to Hopp's two hits, Lovell and Smith also recorded two hits in the opener as every starter but two recorded at least one hit in win as Webster had 10 hits. Lovell, Swords, Smith and fourth-year junior shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) each scored two runs. 

Gibson (2-4) took the loss on the mound for the Panthers as he pitched 6.1 innings and allowed nine hits and six runs, while walking two and striking out two. 

Webster left nine runners on base in the opener, while Greenville stranded two. 

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first inning thanks to an RBI double by Swords that plated Lovell, who had led off the game with a double down the left field line. Swords would later score the second run on a double steal attempt by Smith and Swords as Swords scored, before Smith was caught stealing at second base. 

The Gorloks pushed its lead to 4-0 in the top of the third inning thanks to three hits, including RBI singles by Smith and Goodman, and an error. 

Webster added a fifth run in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a error, a single by second-year freshman leftfielder Landon Vahle (Lee's Summit, Mo./St. Michael Archangel) and an RBI on a fielder's choice by Swords, who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and 4 RBI in the nightcap.

The Gorloks would put the game out of reach in the fifth inning as they sent nine hitters to the plate and plated four runs on four hits. In the inning, Smith led off with a triple and after Goodman was hit by a pitch, Daniels brought home Smith on an bunt single and after Hopp walked, Lovell would hit an RBI single to left center for its second run. Later in the inning, Swords delivered a 2-run single to right center to complete the scoring in the inning. 

Smevoll would complete his outing after five innings after he stranded two runners in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

The Gorloks would add two more runs to its tally in the top of the eighth as freshman rightfielder Levi Hall (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) led off with a solo home run, which was his fourth of the season and the second run came home on an RBI ground out by fourth-year junior second baseman Kellen Quigley (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook). 

In the bottom of the eighth, junior Ben Kowalski (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township) would replace Strandt and recorded two strikeouts and retire the Panthers in order to seal its second consecutive 11-0 win.

Standt and Kowalski pitched a total of three innings and did not allow a hit or a run, while walking two and striking out six, including Strandt striking out four of the eight batters he faced. 

Along with Swords' two hits, Lovell, Smith and Daniels each had two hits in the nightcap as Webster recorded 13 hits as a team. 

Dustin Sutton and Gerdes had both of Greenville's hits in the nightcap.

The Gorloks left nine runners on base, while Greenville stranded six. In addition, Webster went 4-for-5 on stolen bases. 

Webster and Greenville will conclude the four-game series on Saturday, April 17 with another doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.