After committing 4 errors in a 7-6 win over Ripon College (Wis.) on Wednesday, May 15, the Webster University baseball team committed 6 errors in a 5-3 loss to the Augustana College Vikings (Ill.) on Thursday, May 16 in Moline, Ill.
With the loss, the Gorloks move to the loser’s side of the bracket in the six-team Central Regional. Webster will play the loser of the Adrian College-Concordia University (Chicago) game at noon on Friday, May 17. The loser of that game will be eliminated from the double-elimination tournament.
The top-seeded Gorloks and third-seeded Vikings were tied at 3-apiece heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. But that’s when things soured for the Webster defense. An error by Webster second baseman Taylor Stoulp allowed leadoff hitter Nick Tenerelli to reach first.
Mark VanNatta bunted pinch runner Jacques Camalick to second base. Senior closer Jason Gray relieved junior Brett Buchanan to try to stifle the Augustana threat.
Gray coaxed his first batter into a groundout, as Camalick moved to third base. Then, Kyle Lenihan reached on an error by shortstop Ryan Hall, allowing Camalick to score. Jeremy Juhl reached on a second straight error by Hall, as Lenihan moved up to third base.
An error by first baseman Mike Rainbolt — the Gorloks’ fourth of the inning — allowed Lenihan to score. Augustana scored 2 runs to take a 5-3 lead without recording a hit in the frame. Augustana’s Jim Sandberg closed out the win for the Vikings in the ninth inning.
The Gorloks tied the game at 3 with a run in the top of the seventh. Junior Corey Lasky singled in senior Cody Stevenson, who had stolen second base.
The Vikings took a brief 3-2 lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and a runner at first, Hall committed an error to let Brandon Jasper reach base. Lenihan hit an RBI single to drive in Tenerelli. An error by senior starting pitcher Steven Dooley allowed another Viking run to score.
In the top of the sixth, senior Alex Kazmierski put the Gorloks up 2-1 with a solo home run to left field. It was Kazmierski’s second homer in two games, as he hit a grand slam against Ripon.
Webster went up 1-0 in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Stevenson. Augustana tied the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame.
Neither team scored through the game’s first four innings, as Dooley and Augustana lefty Chris Sauer were locked in an early pitching duel. Both the Gorloks and Vikings recorded seven hits and left eight men on base.
Dooley, the 2013 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, threw 6 innings of 6-hit ball. He allowed 3 runs, with only 1 being earned.
Gray took his first loss of the season without allowing a hit to the Vikings. He has allowed only 5 runs to score against him in 25 1/3 innings pitched, with 4 of those runs being unearned.
Webster and Augustana had met earlier in the 2013 season. The Gorloks beat the Vikings 9-4 on March 16 in Winter Haven, Fla. As the host of the Central Regional, Augustana is playing the tournament in its home ballpark.
With the loss, the Gorloks’ record dropped to 33-10 overall. Augustana improved to 33-10 with the victory. Webster is ranked 12th nationally in the most recent D3Baseball.com poll, while Augustana is ranked 20th.
The Gorloks have not played Adrian (32-13 record) or Concordia (37-5) this season. Adrian, the No. 5 seed in the Regional, defeated Wartburg College 5-4 on Wednesday. Concordia, the 4 seed, beat Augustana 2-0 on Wednesday.
If Webster defeats either Adrian or Concordia on Friday afternoon, the Gorloks will play a second game Friday night. That game will be against either Adrian or Concordia.
To view the Webster-Augustana box score, click HERE.
For more Central Regional information, click HERE.
Keep up with The Journal’s sports coverage by following us on Twitter @WUJournalSports.
Share this post
