Iowa Wesleyan baseball drops 4 to 1st-place Webster

MT. PLEASANT — The Iowa Wesleyan baseball team had its hands full Sunday and Monday when the Tigers hosted first-place Webster University, a team currently ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division III rankings.

Iowa Wesleyan gave Webster quite the challenge in Game 1 Sunday, falling 4-2. The Gorloks ran away with the next three games, beating the Tigers 15-0 in seven innings, 10-1 and 17-0 in seven innings.

A fantastic start from pitcher Joe Morrison helped Iowa Wesleyan take a lead after six innings in Game 1. Webster scored one run in the top of the sixth, the only run given up by Morrison all night, but the Tigers brought two home in the bottom half.

Corbin Broeker tied the game with a one-out RBI single. One batter later, Nick Salas scored Dominic Gerace on a sacrifice fly.

The Gorloks scored three runs off of Tiger relief pitcher Steve Larson. Webster took the lead back with a two-run seventh and then plated one more in the ninth.

Salas and Jake Leonard each reached base in the bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers a threat to tie or win it, but Webster escaped the jam to take Game 1.

The only other Iowa Wesleyan run over the four games came in the first game of the Monday doubleheader. Erik Kiewiet tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second when he singled in Leonard.

Webster retook the lead in the third inning, the first of nine runs to close out the game. The Gorloks plated 17 later that day.

Iowa Wesleyan finished the regular season 8-19. The Tigers will be the No. 6 seed and play Fontbonne University in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament, which begins Thursday.