SAUGET, Ill. - The Wartburg College baseball team tallied its first victory of 2021, upsetting top-ranked Webster University 5-3 Sunday afternoon to earn a series split against the Gorlocks.

Webster, ranked No. 1 in Perfect Game's NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll and No. 3 by ABCA, shut out the Knights 5-0 in the series opener on Saturday at GCS Park near St. Louis, Mo.

The Knights fought back for a 5-3 win on Sunday, Feb. 27 to even the series. Starting pitcher Darren Kilpatrick nearly tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs, while the Orange & Black offense helped seal the win with a three-run ninth inning.

In the third and sixth innings, Parker Ridge and Brett Kelting both batted runs in with homers to give Wartburg a 2-1 lead. Webster tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh inning, scoring on a wild pitch. 

Ethan Hayes led off the top of the ninth with a ground-rule double to right field. Zachary Wesolowski pinch ran and came around to score on a Max Goodhue RBI single to give the Knights a 3-2 lead. William Armstrong followed with a two-run double to score Carter Stubitz and Goodhue for the eventual game-winning runs.

The home team began a rally in the bottom half with a pair of singles, trimming the Wartburg lead to 5-3. After allowing a base on balls, a wild pitch, and after short rain delay, the Knights called on Aaron Eybers to relieve Kilpatrick on the mound.

With the bases loaded, Eybers forced a groundout to shortstop to Wartburg shortstop Parker Ridge to earn the save and clinch the Wartburg victory.

The Knights (1-1, 0-0 A-R-C) will head back to Sauget, Ill. next Saturday, March 6, for another set of nonconference games, facing Webster again and Benedictine University.