FRONTENAC, Mo. - Webster University concluded the 2021 softball regular season here Sunday afternoon by splitting a Senior Day doubleheader against Blackburn College at St. Joseph's Academy.

Prior to Sunday's doubleheader, the Gorloks honored their five graduating seniors on this year's team as those seniors recognized were infielder Avery Boccella (Gilbert, Ariz./Trinidad State College), outfielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad), outfielder Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State College) and infielder Alyssa McWilliams (Windsor, Colo./CSU-Pueblo). 

With the doubleheader split, Webster concludes the regular season with a 16-10 overall record and 6-4 in the SLIAC, while Blackburn moves to 4-16 overall, 3-9 in the SLIAC. In addition, the split also helped the Gorloks lock up the No. 2 seed in this coming week's SLIAC Softball Tournament and the No. 2 seeded Gorloks will host seventh-seeded Eureka College in a 5 p.m. quarterfinal game on Tuesday, May 4 at St. Joseph's Academy.

Blackburn opened Sunday's Senior Day doubleheader by posting a 2-1 win in the opener, before using a five run sixth inning, capped by a 3-run homer by Burroughs to earn an 8-3 win in the second game to salvage the split. 

Webster concluded the regular season by splitting nine of its 12 doubleheaders on the year as the only doubleheaders that Webster swept came this season in Fulton, Mo., against Westminster on April 22, at home against Blackburn on April 3 and in the season opener against Nebraska Wesleyan on March 5. 

In the second game, freshman Reese Waggoner (Centennial, Colo./Eaglecrest) tossed her team leading fifth complete game of the season as she allowed just theee hits and three runs (one earned run), while striking out three and walking none to improve to 5-2 on the year. Waggoner has pitched a team-best 54.2 innings this season and has recorded 30 strikeouts and has walked just four. 

On the day, Webster's offense recorded 20 hits, including 12 hits in the nightcap. Burroughs and freshman shortstop Sidney Holtz (Taylorsville, Utah/Murray) each had three hits and combined for three runs and five RBI in the second game. In fact, Holtz went a combined 6-for-7 at the plate in the doubleheader. 

In the second game, Webster got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning thanks to RBI singles by freshman catcher Paige Thomas (Emporia, Kan./Emporia) and freshman second baseman Kaelyn Kearney (Draper, Utah/Corner Canyon). Thomas' single brought home Burroughs, who doubled with two outs and Kearney's single scored Thomas.

The Beavers would get one of those runs back in the top of the second against Waggoner as Holly Heuerman led off with a double, moved to third on a ground out and scored on an RBI ground out off the bat of Alexis Shaw.

Waggoner would then retire the next 12 Blackburn hitters in order and then received five insurance runs by her team's offense in the bottom of the sixth. 

In the sixth, Waggoner reached on a two-out error by Maddie Wichmann at shortstop and she would score when the next batter, Craig, drilled an RBI double to right center. Holtz would then follow with another RBI double to center and then after McWilliams reached on an infield single to put runners on first and second, Burroughs stepped to the plate and drilled a pitcher from Emily Brown over the fence in left to give the Gorloks an 8-1 lead. All of the runs in the inning came with two outs and all five runs were unearned.

The Beavers would add two runs in the seventh on a 2-run homer off the bat of Josie Manar. The homer by Manar was her first of the season and just the second of the season for the Beavers. 

Taylor Girth (0-6) took the loss in the circle for Blackburn as she allowed eight hits and three runs, while walking and striking out none. Brown would pitch the final 2.1 innings and allowed four hits and five unearned runs, while walking one and striking one. 

Huerman, Manar and Chelsea Ashlock each had a hit for Blackburn. 

Meanwhile, in the first game, Webster jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first on an RBI single to left by Thomas, which plated Holtz, who had reached on a one-out single through the right side. 

The Beavers, though, would score two runs on a double by Shaw in the top of the fourth off of senior Kirbie Mendenhall (Robinson, Ill./Parkland College) to take a 2-1 lead. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Webster put two runners on base thanks to a bunt single by Mendenhall and Craig getting hit by a pitch, but Brooke Daniels would get out of the jam by striking out Muecke looking to end the inning. 

Webster would leave two more runners on base in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a leadoff walk issued to junior pinch hitter Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin) and a single by Burroughs, but Daniels would get out of the jam by getting Thomas to pop up and sophomore Ashlee Seltzer (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Rock Canyon) grouded out to second as a pinch hitter.

Blackburn would load the bases in the sixth on a single and two errors with one out, before Mendenhall got out of the jam by forcing Kennedy Henson to hit into a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning. 

The Gorloks woud get tying run to third in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a two-out single by Craig and back-to-back stolen bases by freshman pinch runner Shelbi Patterson (Sesser, Ill./Christopher), but Patterson would be stranded at third after Daniels ended the inning by striking out Muecke. 

Holtz would reach on a one-out single in the seventh, but would be left on the base after Burroughs flied out to deep left field and Thomas would also fly out to left to earn Blackburn's win. 

Mendenhall (8-2) had her six game win streak snapped as she tossed 6.1 innings and allowed six hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out four. 

Daniels (4-5) pitched a complete game and allowed eight hits and one run, while striking out seven and walking one. 

Holtz went 3-for-3, while Mendenhall was 2-for-3 at the plate in the loss as Webster finished with eight hits. 

Huerman had two hits to pace Blackburn in the first game as the Beavers finished with six hits. 

The Gorloks left nine runners on base, while Blackburn stranded six on base. In addition, the Gorloks turned two double plays and had two errors. Blackburn committed one error in the win.