Auburndale, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team completed its spring trip with a 4-2 victory over Webster University (Mo.) Saturday morning at Lake Myrtle Park. The Eagles improve to 6-3 on the season while the Gorloks drop to 9-3. Both teams are receiving votes on this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll.
UWL finishes its spring trip with a 5-3 record.
Webster (Mo.) took a 1-0 lead in the top of hte first as Kyler Kent scored an unearned run on a UWL throwing error. The Gorloks made it 2-0 in the top of the third with Adam Lovell coming in on Nate Tholl's sacrifice fly.
UWL scored three times in the bottom of the third on one hit and three Webster (Mo.) errors.
Brady Stolzman and
Jack Dwyer both reached on errors to start the inning.
Nate Roethle was then hit-by-pitch to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout,
Zach Carney's sacrifice fly knocked in Stolzman to cut the lead to 2-1. Dwyer then scored on a failed pickoff attempt to tie the game at 2-2 and
Brennan Schmitt's RBI double later in the inning scored Roethle for a 3-2 lead.
Caleb Willems earned his second save of the season.
The Eagles added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Dwyer had a lead-off single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then scored on a Webster (Mo.) throwing error on Roethle's sacrifice bunt.
Webster (Mo.) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth.
Caleb Willems came in relief of
Mason McMahon and retired Kent at home on a fielder's choice back to the mound. Willems then struck out pinch-hitter Ben Dinter to end the game.
McMahon (2-0) earned the win, pitching 8.1 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs (one earned) and one walk while tying his career-high with 12 strikeouts. Willems picked up his second save, going 0.2 of an inning with one strikeout.
UWL totaled four hits with
Shane Coker, Schmitt,
Alex Robson and Dwyer each finishing with one. Dwyer scored two runs.
C.J. Lee (0-1) suffered the loss for Webster (Mo.), going 5.1 innings, allowing three hits, four runs (one earned) and one walk while striking out four. The Gorloks had seven hits as Kent, Danny Strohm and Joe Swanson each had two. Webster (Mo.) had five errors in the game.
UWL returns to action Saturday, March 24 hosting seventh-ranked Concordia University Chicago (Ill.) in the Eagles' home opener. First pitch of the doubleheader starts at noon at Copeland Park.
