Sauget, IL 4/15/2023- The Westminster College baseball team was back in action on Saturday to finish off their three-game series against Webster University with a doubleheader. After a lengthy weather delay, the Blue Jays found themselves down 7-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning. The Jays' offense would explode for six runs and take an 8-7 lead. They would score two more runs in the top of the ninth and go on to win the game 10-8. Westminster would carry that momentum into game two, scoring four runs in the top of the third inning and three in the top of the sixth inning. The weather would once again become a factor and result in the game being called in the eighth inning resulting in the Blue Jays winning game two 7-1 and winning the series 2-1. With the two wins the Blue Jays improved to 16-13 on the season and 6-6 in the conference. The Gorloks fell to 16-10 on the season and 9-3 in the conference.
Game One: Box Score
Bode Gebbink (St, Joseph, Il. / St. Joeseph-Ogden) got the start on the mound in the game for the Blue Jays. He would pitch seven and two-thirds innings, striking out four batters and giving up two walks. Gebbink would get hit eleven times and surrender seven runs.
The Gorloks got to Gebbink early scoring a run off a double to right-center field in the bottom of the first inning. Westminster would answer in the top of the second inning, with Quin Adelson (Louisville, KY / North Oldham) a leadoff solo home run, his fifth of the season. Webster would hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to take the lead back to 3-1. They would string together three runs after the Blue Jay defense committed some errors and give the Gorloks a 6-1 lead. Coltin Green (St. Anthony, Mo. / St. Elizabeth) hit an RBI single to make it 6-2. Webster would score in the bottom of the sixth to keep the Blue Jays at arm's length with a five-run lead.
Austin Mayton (Wentzville, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt North) started the top of the seventh with a leadoff single to center field. He would move up to second base on a passed ball. Steven Diaz (Highland, Il. / Highland) hit a single to left field and Green would score after an error by the Gorlok left fielder. Troy Romero (Trophy Club, TX / Byron Nelson) drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second base. Payton Whitehead (Belleville, Il. / Belleville West) reached on a fielder's choice after Romero was out on the force at second base, Diaz advanced to third base. Green would reach first on a dropped third strike and load the bases for Adelson. He would launch the ball over the right field fence for a grand slam, giving Westminster an 8-7 lead. It would be his sixth homer of the season.
The Jays would strike again in the top of the ninth to extend their lead to 10-7 after Romero and Whitehead both reached with singles. Skyler Bushey (Saint Albans, Vt / Bellows Free Academy) would also hit a single to load the bases again. Green would hit into a double play but would score Romero on the play. Adelson would once again step up to the plate and this time would deliver an RBI double to left center field to score Bushey and give his team a 10-7 lead.
Hayden Sanborn (Arnold, Mo / St. John Vianney) came in for Gebbink with two outs in the eighth inning and would return to the mound to start the ninth. The Gorloks would hit back-to-back singles to start the ninth. Their next batter would reach on a fielder's choice with the runner being thrown out at second base. Now with runners on first and third, Webster would hit a single to right to drive in a run to make it 10-8. The next Gorlok batter would get out at first but would move the runners up to second and third. With two outs in the inning. The Blue Jays would intentionally walk the next batter to load the bases and make it a force out at any base with two outs in the inning. Brian Henke (Silex, Mo / Silex) would get the call from the bullpen to come in and close the game out. The junior pitcher would throw four pitches and get a fly out to the centerfielder to end the game with the Blue Jays walking away with the 10-8 victory in a thrilling comeback.
Sanborn would pitch one inning, walking one batter, give up three hits, and give up one run, getting the hold. Henke gets his first save of the season, getting a clutch flyout with the game on the line.
Game Two: Box Score
The Blue Jays would have little time to celebrate as they still had to play game two of the doubleheader. Freshman hurler Derek Archer (St. Charles, Mo / Francis Howell North) would get his sixth start of the season and would pitch a complete game. He would give up five hits and one run, striking out three batters and giving up a walk.
Westminster would strike first in the top of the third inning, scoring four runs after Matt Lukins (Clark, Mo / Rock Bridge) got the inning started with a lead-off walk. Diaz followed up with a single to center then Romero would reach on a fielder's choice but all runners would be safer after an error by the Gorloks to load the bases. Lukins would score on a wild pitch with Romero and Diaz moving up to second and third. Whitehead drew a walk to load the bases for Bushey. Bushey would draw an RBI walk, bringing in Diaz to take a 2-0 lead. Green would hit the ball hard to left but would line out to the centerfielder. Romero would hit, and get thrown out trying to get back to third resulting in a double play. Adelson, who hit two home runs in game one, would get walked to load the bases. Spencer Keiser (Old Monroe, Mo / Winfield) roped a two-RBI single to center field to score Whitehead and Bushey, giving Westminster a 4-0 lead.
The Gorloks would score one run in the bottom of the fourth. The Blue Jays' offense would strike again with Keiser and Lukins drawing walks that lead to a three-run home by Diaz to give Westminster a commanding 7-1 lead. The home run would be Diaz's sixth of the season.
The weather would once again become a factor that resulted in the game being called early and giving the Blue Jays the 7-1 win and sweeping the doubleheader.
The Blue Jays will be back in action on Tuesday, April 18th when they host Iowa Wesleyan. The first pitch from Saucier Field is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
