FULTON, Mo. - Webster University secured its spot in the championship round of the 2021 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament here Friday afternoon following its 6-4 win over top-seeded Fontbonne University in the winner's bracket final at Blue Jay Field on the Westminster College campus.

With the win, Webster improves to 19-10 overall and will now face either Fontbonne or No. 3 seeded Spalding in the championship game of the double elimination tournament at around 6 p.m. Friday. The No. 2 seeded Gorloks are the lone undefeated team in the tournament. Fontbonne, who won the regular season SLUAC title, falls to 19-17 on the season.

Friday's winner's bracket game was a sloppy affair as it featured a combined four errors by each team and a combined 16 runners left on base as Fontbonne stranded nine and Webster left seven. 

The Gorloks were also outhit in the game, 10-9, but led 6-0 going into the bottom of the fourth, before the Griffins rallied to score the final four runs, including having the tying run at the plate in both the sixth and seventh innings. 

Webster got the scoring started in the top of the first on an RBI single to left off the bat of senior rightfielder Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State). Craig's single allowed junior leftfielder Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin) to score from second. Jackson had reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a single to center by fifth-year senior centerfielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad), who was named the SLIAC Player of the Year prior to the start of the game. 

In the third, the Gorloks took advantage of two Fontbonne errors to and used two hits to score two unearned runs to push its lead to 3-0. Jackson reached on an error by Gracie Morris at third and would score when Burroughs hit a single, but that single turned into a two-base error on Fontbonne centerfielder Grace Harlin. Jackson would score an unearned run and Burroughs would move to third and would score when Craig delivered a sacrifice fly to right for the second run of the inning.

The Gorloks lead grew to 6-0 in the top of fourth as they sent nine hitters to plate and recorded four hits and also took advantage to another Griffin error to plate three runs. In the inning, senior first baseman Alyssa McWilliams (Windsor, Colo../CSU-Pueblo) led off with a double, moved to third on a single by freshman second baseman Kaelyn Kearney (Draper, Utah/Corner Canyon) and would score when junior third baseman Sheyla Iniguez (Riverside, Calif./Bloomington) reached on a error by Fontbonne second baseman Lily Jones. Jackson brought home the second run on a sacrifce fly to center and the third run come on an RBI groundout by Burroughs off of Abby Richmond, who started in the circle for Fontbonne. 

Fontbonne would finally get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth as they used two hits and a throwing error by Iniguez at third to plate an unearned run off of freshman pitcher Reese Waggoner (Centennial, Colo./Eaglecrest).

The Griffins took advantage to two more Gorlok errors in the bottom of the fifth as they scored two unearned runs to pull within 6-3. The only hit in the inning, a single by Harlin, scored two runs as on the play, Kearney made a fielding error that allowed the two runs to score.

Fontbonne would put two runners on base in the bottom of the sixth on a single and an error by freshman shortstop Sidney Holtz (Taylorsville, Utah/Murray) with one out, but Waggoner would get out of the jam by forcing Lexi Becker to fly to Burroughs in center and Jones to pop up to Jackson in left. 

After being retired in order for the second straight inning in top of the seventh by Fontbonne reliever Michaela Mason, the Griffins once again put pressure on the Gorloks as Grace Paez opened the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle. Sarah Joines, who pinch ran for Paez, would advance to second on a groundout and moved to third on a single by Gracie Morris that chased Waggoner from game, Senior Kirbie Mendenhall (Robinson, Ill./Parkland College) replaced Waggoner in the circle and the first batter she faced, Hannah Miener, brought home a run on a groundout, but Mendenhall would end the game getting the tying run, Madison Galczyski, to ground out to second to end the game and preserve Webster's victory.

Waggoner (7-2) picked up the win as she pitched 6.1 innings and allowed 10 hits and four runs (one earned run), while striking out one and walking none. Mendenhall picked up her first save by retiring the only two batters she faced in the seventh. 

Burroughs, Craig and McWilliams had had two hits for the Gorloks as they had nine in the game, but recorded only hit over the final three-plus innings. In fact, Burroughs and Craig, who hit 3 and 4 in the order on Friday, combined to go 4-for-7 at the plate with four RBI and a run scored. 

Richmond (8-5) took the loss for Fontbonne as she allowed eight hits and six runs (two earned), while walking one and fanning none in her 3.2 innings of work. Mason would retire six of the seven hitters she faced over the final 3.1 innings. 

Becker, Galczyski and Patience Vandermeirden each had two hits for the Griffins. 

The four errors by Webster were tied for the second most in a game this season by the Gorloks.

Webster is looking to win its fifth all-time SLIAC Tournament title in softball and first since 2009. The winner of the SLIAC Tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.