Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FULTON, Mo.- After the William Woods baseball team swept the day one double-header against Park University yesterday, the Pirates were able to win game one 13-6, however, in game two, the Owls offense was on fire all afternoon, scoring 26 runs on 23 hits going on for the 26-16 victory.
After Park (8-19, 5-15 AMC) took a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning, the Owls responded in the home half of the second.
Matt Thomas got the offense going with a lead-off double to deep right-center, putting the tying run in scoring position.
Jacob Harrison then struck-out and
Derek Fletcher was hit-by-pitch, putting two runners on with one out for designated hitter Mike Vinnitsky. The junior doubled to right-center scoring Thomas and courtesy-runner
Damon Adrian, giving the Owls a 2-1 lead. The offense wasn't done there, as
Ryan Sweet hit an infield single, moving Vinnitsky over to third.
Austin Clapp hit a single to center, the teams' third consecutive hit, scoring Vinnitsky and extending the lead to 3-1, with runners on first and second. Greg Hamrock put the lead to 4-1, after reaching on a fielder's choice, allowing Sweet to score and giving starter
John Cavness a three run lead.
The Pirates came right back in the top of the third inning, scoring two runs on two hits, getting RBI from Lance Kays that scored Xavier Lewis who reached base on a walk and the other Pirate run came on a wild pitch from reliever
Dylan Hastings, scoring Parker Jones, whom singled to center earlier in the inning. Hastings came on in relief for Cavness, after the starter allowed the first three batters of the inning to reach base.
In the top of the fourth, the Pirate offense took their second lead of the day, scoring seven runs on five hits, to take a 10-4 lead over the Owls. Park added three more runs in the fifth, extending the lead to 13-4. William Woods scored two runs in the seventh, but the comeback wasn't to be, as the Owls fell by seven.
WWU and Park each totaled 13 hits in the game, with Hamrock leading the Owls going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Harrison, Fletcher, and Sweet each added two hits in the game as well. Sweet (2), Clapp and
Eilert Meyers were the other Owl hitters to have an RBI. The Pirates were led by the 1-2 hitters of Xavier Lewis and Parker Jones, as they combined to go 7-for-8 with five runs scored and two RBI. Kays also had a strong day at the plate going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI.
The finale was a completely different story, as it was the most offensive minded game either team has played all season. There were a total of 42 runs scored, 42 hits, 10 errors, 10 different pitchers used and a total of 357 pitches thrown in game four.
Park started off the game with six straight batters reaching base and putting five runs across the board on starter
Bubba Bradshaw, taking a 5-0 lead on William Woods. The Owls, however, responded scoring eight runs on five hits, retaking the lead 8-5 and the team was able to force Pirate starter Milan Pleacher from the game after recording just two outs, allowing six runs on three hits.
In the top of the second inning, it now started to appear that no lead was safe, as the Pirates scored three runs on three hits, tying the game up at 8-8. William Woods, after scoring eight in the first, continued their hot hitting, putting four runs across the plate in the home half of the second inning, taking a 12-8 lead.
But, the Owls pitching couldn't get the Pirate offense cooled down, as Park scored three more runs in the top of the third, cutting the lead down to 12-11.The Owls were able to match the runs in the third as well, scoring three times and extending the lead back up to 15-11, through three innings of play.
However, for the third consecutive inning, Park scored three runs, on four hits, cutting the Owl advantage back down to one run. In the bottom of the fourth, William Woods put six runs on the scoreboard on five hits, now putting the lead at 21-14, through four innings.
After 35 runs had been scored, the loudest roar of the afternoon from the crowd came in the top of the fifth, as Owl pitcher
Ryan Schuermann pitched a 1-2-3 inning, retiring all three batters he faced and for the first time all game, the Pirates didn't score a run. Schuermann pitched great in his relief victory, throwing four one-third innings pitched, allowing five hits, three runs and striking out three Park batters.
The Owl offense would go on to add one run in the fifth and in the sixth, taking a 23-14 lead heading into the top of the eighth. After scoring 27 runs through 11 innings played, the Pirate offense went cold, thanks to quality Owl pitching, as Park didn't score in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
The Pirates did get back on the scoreboard, putting two runs across home plate on two hits capped off by Kirk Pruitt hitting a two run homer over the left field wall, putting the score at 23-16. In the bottom of the eighth,
Damon Adrian was able to reach on a walk and he advanced to third base after
Stephen Kohler singled to right field.
Zach Nichols came to the plate and on the 2-1 pitch, the left fielder ended the game with a three-run homer over the left field wall, giving the Owls a wild 10 run win.
Eight of the nine starters for the Owls had at least one hit, with Kohler having a filled up stat sheet, going 5-for-7 with three runs scored, three RBI and was a home run short of the cycle. The 1-2-3 hitters of Hamrock, Kohler and Nichols combined to go 12-for-18 with seven runs scored and 12 RBI. Harrison had a busy day on the bases going 4-for-5 with four runs scored, tying for a game high in runs scored with Fletcher who also crossed the plate four times. The 7-8-9 hitters of Meyers, Clapp and
Kyle Switzer did damage at the bottom of the order, going 5-for-15 with four runs scored and 7 RBI.
Shockingly as it sounds, the 26 runs scored is not the highest amount total the team has put on the board in a single game. The most runs scored in one game since 2005 for William Woods, happened in 2006 when the team beat Westminster 29-14, which was Head Coach
Darren Munns first season with the team. The 26 runs today did eclipse the second most runs scored in one game, as that was previously held by the 2011 Owls team that beat Harris-Stowe 23-14.
The Owls (13-14, 9-7 AMC), have the day off tomorrow, but will be back in action on Monday at Hannibal-LaGrange. This will be the fifth time these two teams' attempt a make-up game. First-pitch is set to be thrown at 12:00 p.m.
