GREENVILLE, Ill. - After picking up two run-ruled wins in eight innings here Friday, the No. 2 and No. 4 ranked Webster Baseball team swept a doubleheader from Greenville University late Saturday evening at Robert E. Smith Field.

Webster used a five run fifth inning to rally from a 2-0 deficit to post a 6-4 win in the first game and then held off a late inning rally by the Panthers to win 6-5 in the nightcap that ended right before midnight. 

With the two wins, Webster improved to 23-5 overall and 18-2 in the SLIAC and extended its win streak to five straight, while Greenville fell to 4-21 overall and 4-12 in the SLIAC. The Gorloks have now swept three of its five SLIAC series this season and have won three out of four games in the other two series' against Westminster and Spalding. 

In Saturday's opener, the Gorloks got strong relief pitching from third-year sophomore pitcher Joey Marko (Winfield, Mo./Winfield) after freshman starting pitcher J.T, Miller (Centennial, Colo./Regis Jesuit) pitched only two-thirds of an inning as he allowed two runs without a hit as he issued two walks and hit a batter, before Marko replaced him after striking out Parker Panich. 

Marko would pitch the next four innings and allowed just four hits and two unearned runs, while striking out four and walking none to pick up his first win of the season and then he gave way to fourth-year junior Jake Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook), who pitched 2.1 scoreless inning to collect his first save of the season. Anderson walked one and struck five in his 38-pitch effort. 

The Panthers jumped in front 2-0 off of Miller in the bottom of the first inning as they used one hit, an error by fifth-year senior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) and a hit batsman to score the two runs. 

Greenvile would hold onto the lead until the fifth inning as they used six hits and scored five runs to take a 5-2 lead. In the inning, third-year junior right fielder Adam Lovell (Lafayette, Ind./Saint Joseph's College) opened the inning with a walk, moved to second on a single by fourth-year junior All-American third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and after both hitters stole second and third, fifth-year senior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro) delivered a 2-run double to right center to tie the game. Fifth-year senior leftfielder A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin) walked and Kent then scored on an RBI single to right center by third-year sophomore catcher Zach Goodman (Greenwood Village, Colo./Arapahoe) to give the Gorloks a 3-2 lead. Second-year freshman designated hitter Landon Vahle (Lee's Summit, Mo./St. Michael Archangel) hit an RBI single through the left side and later in in the inning, fourth-year shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine) brought home the fifth run on his RBI double to right center.

The Panthers, though, came right back in the bottom of the fifth and scored two runs on three hits and a Gorlok error to plate two unearned runs and drop Webster's lead to 5-4. 

Webster would get an insurance run for Anderson in the top of the seventh as Vahle opened the inning with a single, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored the sixth run of the game on an RBI single to Greenville pitcher Hunter Cullum. 

Anderson would walk Drew Frey with one out in the seventh and after a wild pitch moved him to second with two outs, Anderson would end the game by striking out Landon Mokris looking to seal his save and the win for the Gorloks.

Webster finished with 15 hits in the opener as Swords and Goodman each went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Kent and Vahle each had two hits in the game. 

Four different Panthers recorded a hit in the first game. 

Luke Fleener (1-5) took the loss on the mound for the Panthers as he tossed four-plus innings and allowed nine hits and four runs, while walking two and striking out three. 

The two teams left a combined 15 runners on base as Greenville stranded 10 and Webster left five. 

Webster also had four stolen bases in the game, including two by Swords as he is 6-for-6 on steals for the season.

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Webster jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the third inning thanks to a single by Smith and a 2-run homer by Goodman over the fence in right center off of Greenville starting hurler Ian Wilson.

The Gorloks lead grew to 3-0 in the top of the fifth as they took advantage of two Greenville errors and a walk to plate an unearned run. 

Greenville, though, would rally in the bottom of the seventh off of freshman Alek Elges (Littleton, Colo./J.K. Mullen), who was making his second start of the season. In the seventh, the Panthers would record two hits and use a Gorlok error to score three runs to tie game. 

Elges would pitch 6.1 innings and allowed four hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out seven, before fourth-year junior Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) replaced him with one out in the seventh. 

Webster would retake the lead in the top of the eighth thanks to two walks and a 2-run double down the left field line off the bat of freshman pinch hitter R.J. LaRocco (San Diego, Calif./Point Loma) to give the Gorloks a 5-3 lead. 

The Gorloks added another run in the ninth thanks to single by Smith, walks issued to Goodman and fifth-year senior pinch hitter Garrett Davis (Geneva, Ill./Elgin CC) and freshman second baseman Bo Slaymaker (Johnstown, Colo./Roosevelt) getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give Webster a 6-3 advantage. 

In the bottom of the ninth, junior Ben Kowalski (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township) would run into some trouble as he walked one and allowed two hits, including a 2-run double by Morkis to push within a run at 6-5, before he regrouped and struck out the final two hitters he faced to pick up the win and improve to 2-0 on the season.

Kowalski tossed 2.1 innings and allowed two hits and two runs, while walking one and striking out four. 

Webster finished with eight hits in the nightcap as Smith had two of those hits and scored two runs. Goodmand and LaRocco each had 2 RBI to pace the Gorloks. 

Greenville had seven hits, including two hits and 3 RBI from Mokris. 

Seth Burnham (0-1) took the loss in relief for the Panthers as he pitched 1.1 innings and allowed two hits and three runs, while walking four and striking out two. 

In the game, Greenville's four pitchers combined to walk nine Gorloks. 

The teams also combined to commit seven errors as Webster had four and Greenville finished three errors and they also combined to leave 21 runners on base as Webster stranded 12 and Greenville left nine on base. 

Webster will now wait a week before returning to action as they host Fontbonne for a key four-game SLIAC series next weekend (April 24-25) at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. The two teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, before concluding the series on Sunday, April 25 with another doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Prior to Sunday's game, the Gorloks will celebrate Senior Day.