O'FALLON, Mo. – After 12 thrilling innings, the Spalding baseball team fell to Webster, 6-5, in the SLIAC championship game. The Eagles finish the season with a 27-18 record.
 
Spalding jumped out to an early lead with Michael Newsom took the first pitch of the game to the right field gap for a solo home run that gave the Spalding fans early reasons to cheer. Sam Pinho doubled in the second inning and would score on a single by Dryden Schroeder. Jahlyn McKie followed with his own single, scoring Schroeder and giving the Golden Eagles a 3-0 lead.
 
Meanwhile, the Gorloks offense was held in check by Spalding starter Clay Burton. Burton held the Gorloks to just two hits in the first four innings. However, the Gorloks showed some life in the fifth inning. Zach Goodman started the inning with a double and was followed by a single from Adam Lovell. R.J. LaRocco singled in a run to make the score 3-1. But the threat ended there as the Gorloks stranded bases loaded. The Gorloks threatened again in the sixth, once again loading the bases, but again leaving all three runners on.
 
Webster finally broke through in the seventh inning, not just tying the game up but taking the lead. Ben Swords singled to start the frame but when the next two batters were retired it looked as though the Gorloks may once again strand a runner in scoring position. That was when A.J. Smith delivered a single through the left side for the Gorloks second run. Smith then stole second to get into scoring position and would come around to score when Malik Wirges doubled to left to draw the score even at three. Goodman gave the Gorloks the lead with his second hit of the game, making the score 4-3.
 
The Eagles evened up the score in the next inning and had a chance when they put a runner at second base with one out but then saw the runner erased in a rundown between third base and home for the inning's final out. Spalding did get a run across in the ninth inning when Jacob Spanyer singled in Ethan Tuttle, who had led the inning off with an infield single, tying the score at 4-4.
 
The Gorloks picked up a hit in the bottom of the ninth but was quickly erased when the Eagles turned a 5-4-3 double play, sending the game into extra innings. The first two extra innings were relatively quick with just one runner reaching scoring position for either team. Despite the limited chances, the game was nearly over in the bottom of the 11th when the Gorloks picked up a walk and infield hit with two outs. Gorlok Mitch Daniels briefly looked like he had won the game when he ripped a line drive towards second base that would have scored the run from second only to see second baseman Sam Pinho leap into the air to grab the ball at its peak for the final out.
 
When the game went into the 12th inning it became tied for the longest game in SLIAC tournament history, joining games from 2006 and 2011. Matthew McDowell started things for Spalding in the top of the inning with a single to left. Sam Pinhio followed with a single of his own, putting runners at first and second with one out. Schroeder put the ball in play and it worked as an overthrow to first allowed McDowell to score and give Spalding a 5-4 lead.
 
Webster, who had already fought back from a 5-0 deficit earlier in the tournament, would need another rally to take down Spalding. It was Goodman that answered the call by singling for his third hit of the game to start that rally. With two outs Adam Lovell stepped to the plate and slapped the ball down the leftfield line for an RBI double that scored pinch-runner, Joel Arsenault, from first base to tie the game. Lovell then moved to third on a wild pitch, bringing up Aron Hopp. Hopp would deliver the big hit to give the Gorloks the SLIAC championship.
 
Michael Newsom led the Eagles at the plate going 4-for-6 with 2 RBI and a home run. Newsom, Peyton Hood and Jacob Spanyer were named to the SLIAC All-Tournament team.
 
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