SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- For the second time in as many days, an Owls squad stumbled coming out of a postseason rain delay. For the William Woods University baseball team, the delay came at the end of the game instead of the beginning, but the result was the same as the Owls held on for a 10-6 win over Harris-Stowe State University in an elimination game in the AMC Postseason Tournament.
Robbie McMorris (Bowling Green, Mo.) picked up the win, going seven innings and scattering seven hits to move to 7-3 on the year.
The Owls found themselves down by a pair of runs after the first inning, but settled into a rhythm, retiring the Trojans in order in the top of the second and working out of a third-inning jam with a double play.
In the bottom of the third, WWU took advantage of a pair of Harris-Stowe miscues to take a 3-2 lead.
Austin Clapp (Macon, Mo.) and
Jacob Harrison (Fulton, Mo.) wrapped singles around a flyout to center for
Derek Fletcher (Moberly, Mo.), advancing to scoring position on a wild pitch from HSSU starter Brandon Wehkamp.
Derek McCawley (Phoenix, Ariz.) cracked a 2-RBI double to right-center, finishing the play on third on a throwing error. He didn't stay long, as
Matt Thomas (Brashear, Mo.) singled up the middle to plate McCawley. The Owls couldn't add another run, however, as
Parker Watkins (Wardell, Mo.) popped out to second.
WWU added three more runs with a two-out rally in the fourth, pushing across a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth to stretch out to a 10-2 lead.
Harris-Stowe pulled one run back in the top of the seventh before storms rolled through the Springfield area, taking their toll by causing a four-hour, 17-minute delay.
Kyle Muzechka (Vergreville, Alberta, Canada) came on in relief for the Owls and despite giving up a pair of singles and a walk, he closed out the top of the eighth with a strikeout.
Unfortunately, the Owls were unable to get into an offensive rhythm in the bottom of the frame, retiring in order.
Harris-Stowe tried to mount a comeback, scoring a pair of runs as
Andrew Pointer (Taos, Mo.) gave up a leadoff walk and three hits in succession.
Trevor Manis (Hazelwood, Mo.) struck out Josh Mendoza before giving way to
Damon Adrian (Mary's Home, Mo.). Adrian allowed a sacrifice fly to Javier Martinez before getting Logan Peters to fly out to end the game.
The Owls move to 34-17 with the win and will face Benedictine University-Springfield on Monday. First pitch in the elimination game is set for 3:30 p.m.
