Auburndale, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team opened its 2019 season with a 6-2 loss to Webster University (Mo.) Saturday afternoon in the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational. The Eagles are receiving votes on this week's D3baseball.com while the Gorlocks, now 10-3 on the season, is ranked 15th on D3baseball.com. 

Webster (Mo.) took a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Ben Swords scored on Danny Strohm's double for the first run of the game. Adam Lovell followed with an RBI single to knock in Strohm for a 2-0 lead. The Gorlocks added a pair of unearned runs after an Eagles' throwing error. 

UWL cut the deficit to 4-1 on the bottom of the fifth. Cal McClellan walked to lead-off the inning and later scored on Zac Carney's two-out single. The Eagles made it 4-2 in the seventh inning. McClellan singled with one out and moved to third on Brady Stolzman's single. McClellan then scored on a wild pitch. 

The Gorlocks added runs in the eighth inning on a Joe Swanson triple and in the ninth on a A.J. Smith sacrifice fly. 

Five different players had a hit for UWL with McClellan scoring both runs for the Eagles. Connor Cook (0-1) took the loss, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing four hits, four runs (two earned) and two walks with seven strikeouts. Caleb Willems went 4.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run and one walk with one strikeout while James Witt pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one hit, one run and one walk.

Webster (Mo.) totaled nine hits with Aaron Hopp finishing 3-for-5 overall. Strohm went 2-for-3 with two runs. Garrett Davis (2-0) earned the win for the Gorlocks, pitching 2.2 innings in relief. He allowed three hits and one run while striking out two. 

UWL returns to action Sunday, March 17 facing 12th-ranked the University of Southern Maine at 8:45 a.m. (Central). The Eagles will also face Concordia University (Mich.) in a JV game at 12:30 p.m. (Central).