ST. ANN, Mo. - Webster University Softball opened the final week of the 2021 regular season here Tuesday as the Gorloks split a non-conference doubleheader against Fontbonne University at ABC Park. 

Tuesday's game was originally scheduled to be played at St. Joseph's Academy, but about 90 minutes prior to game time, a sprinkler malfunction on the field made the field wet and unplayable and forced the Gorloks to move the game to ABC Park, which is Fontbonne's home field. The Gorloks, though, were the home team for both games on Tuesday. 

With the doubleheader split, Webster moves to 15-9 overall and Fontbonne moves to 15-13 overall.

Tuesday's doubleheader was the first of three this week for the Gorloks as they travel to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, for a doubleheader at Iowa Wesleyan beginning at 5 p.m. and then concludes the regular season with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 2 against Blackburn. Those final two doubleheaders are St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contests as Webster seeks to win the regular season championship and earn the No. 1 seed in the SLIAC Tournament. 

Webster opened Tuesday's doubleheader with a 5-0 win, before Fontbonne exploded for 12 runs in the first three innings en route to earning a 12-7 win in the nightcap. 

In Tuesday's opener against the Griffins, Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the second thanks to a one-out home run over the fence in left field by freshman second baseman Kaelyn Kearney (Draper, Utah/Corner Canyon). The homer was the first of Kearney's collegiate career. 

Webster's lead grew to 2-0 in the third inning on a lead-off single by freshman shortstop Sidney Holtz (Taylorsville, Utah/Murray) and an RBI double by senior first baseman Alyssa McWilliams (Windsor, Colo./CSU-Pueblo) off of Michaela Mason.

The Gorloks would add three more runs in the sixth inning on two hits and an error to push in front 5-0. In the inning, freshman catcher Jaelin Holdaway (West Valley, Utah/Cyprus) walked, moved to second on bunt by Kearney and then scored on an RBI single to right by senior rightfielder Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State). The next hitter, senior leftfielder Anna Muecke (Lueneburg, Germany/Spartanburg Methodist) reached on an error that allowed Craig to score the second run and Holtz followed with an RBI double to right. 

In the bottom of the seventh, freshman Reese Waggoner (Centennial, Colo./Eaglecrest) would retire the Griffins in order to preserve the shutout and record her first save of the season. Waggoner, who replaced senior Kirbie Mendenhall (Robinson, Ill./Parkland College) in the fifth inning, retired all nine hitters she faced in order and recorded two strikeouts. 

Mendenhall, who improved to 8-1 on the season, pitched four innings and allowed two hits and no runs, while walking one and striking out none. 

Mason (6-5) took the loss for Fontbonne as she tossed six innings and allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned), while walking three and striking out none.

The Gorloks finished with seven hits, including Holtz recording two hits, while five others recorded a hit in the win. Grace Harlin and Skylar Freeman each had a hit for Fontbonne.

Webster left five runners on base, while Fontbonne left four runners on base.

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, the two teams combined for 19 runs, 26 hits, three errors and eight walks in a game that lasted two-and-half hours. 

Webster had 12 hits, two errors and scored seven runs, while Fontbonne had 14 hits, an error and scored 12 runs with all 12 runs coming in the first three innings. 

The Griffins got the scoring started in the nightcap in the top of the first on a 2-out home run over the fence in left by Grace Paez off of senior Morgan Parrish (Lawrenceville, Ill./Parkland College). 

Fontbonne's lead grew to 7-0 in the top of the second as they sent nine hitters to the plate and recorded six runs on three hits with the big hit being a 2-run double to left by Paez off of Parrish. 

Webster would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the second off of Lexi Becker as they used a walk and two hits, including an RBI single up the middle by Craig to drop Fontbonne's lead to 7-1. 

The Griffins would blow the game open in the top of the third as they used four hits and took advantage of an error to plate five runs and push its lead to 12-1. 

In the bottom of the third, Webster used three consecutive doubles by Holtz, fifth-year senior centerfielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad) and sophomore first baseman Ashlee Seltzer (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Rock Canyon) to plate two runs and cut Fontbonne's lead to 12-3. 

Entering the bottom of the fitth, the Gorloks needed to score at least one run to prevent being run-ruled. In the inning, the Gorloks would score two runs to continue the game. Burroughs opened the inning with a double to deep center, moved to third on a groundout by Seltzer and after Mendenhall walked with two outs, Holdaway got that needed run on an RBI double to right center and added a second run later in the inning on an RBI single by Craig. 

The Gorloks would add two more runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Holdaway and a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior leftfielder Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin), but Becker would prevent further damage she ended the game by forcing junior third baseman Sheyla Inigiuez (Riverside, Calif./Bloomington) to fly out to center. 

Craig paced the Gorloks offensively with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate with 2 RBI, while Holtz, Burroughs and Holdaway each had two hits in the nightcap. Mendenhall scored three runs, while Burroughs scored twice. 

Paez was 4-for-5 at the plate with 5 RBI, while Madison Galczyski went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Lily Jones and Hannah Miener each had two hits. 

Parrish (3-3) took the loss in the circle as she tossed 1.2 innings and allowed three hits and seven runs, while walking two and striking out one. Freshman Jaleesa Smith (Harrison, Tenn./Chattanooga Central) pitched an inning and allowed four hits and five runs, while walking two and striking out two, while Waggoner tossed the final 4.1 innings and allowed seven hits and no runs, while striking out two and walking none. 

Becker (3-1) tossed a complete game as she allowed 12 hits and seven runs (five earned), while walking four and striking out two. 

The teams would leave a total of 16 runners on base as Webster stranded nine and Fontbonne left seven runners on base. 

Fontbonne also stole four bases and the Gorloks turned a double play. 

Webster will return to action in less than 24 hours as they travel to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. at Iowa Wesleyan University.