PARKVILLE, Mo. - The (RV) William Woods University baseball team split Tuesday's doubleheader against Park University, as the Owls dropped the first game 4-1 but were able to bounce back and defeated the Pirates 13-8 in game two.
 
With today's split The Owls (24-8; 11-5 AMC), are now tied for second place in the American Midwest Conference with Missouri Baptist University. Despite, the team's second loss in its last five games, WWU is only one game back from first place Freed-Hardeman University.
 
Game One William Woods 1 Park University 4
 
Park University was the first to score in the bottom of the third inning, as Blake Sellers led off with a single up the middle and was followed by a Kyzer Hoover double to deep right field, advancing Sellers to third base. Then Jake Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Sellers and giving the Pirates the 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, with two outs, Victor Claudio would collect three RBI's on a three run home run, over the right field fence, putting PU up 4-0.
 
The score remained the same until the top of the seventh, as the Owls had been shut out up to William Woods last three outs of the game. J.D Williams was the Pirates fifth pitcher to come on the mound, as Dustin Kremer grounded out and Nick Spagnola's fly out to center field, brought Konrad Kemper to the plate down to the Owls last out of the game. Kemper, a Mokane, Missouri native, recorded his first home run on the season, with a shot over left field fence, putting the first run on the board for the Owls and keeping the team alive.
 
Although, the late rally for the Owls and outhitting the Pirates 5-4, that would be as close WWU would get to Park University, as PU would go on to secure the 4-1 victory in game one.
 
Larry Price would pace the Owls offensively, as the left fielder collected two hits, while three other Owls recorded a hit, coming from the bats of Spagnola, Javier Ledesma and Kemper. Designated hitter, Kemper would plate the lone RBI for the Owls with his solo home run.
 
The Pirates collected four hits from four different players in the match up, while starting pitcher Tyler Townsend got the win, allowing three hits and not giving up a single run in 3.0 innings of work.
 
Game Two William Woods 13 Park University 8
 
Just like in game one, Park University was able to strike first, this time in the bottom of the second inning, after Jake Sobbe single Ethan Smith would com into the game to pinch run for Sobbe and with two ground outs, putting Smith at third base, Aaron Garcia single to right field to plate Smith and giving the Pirates the 1-0 lead.
 
Shortly after, in the top of the fourth the Owls would get their bats going, scoring five runs on four hits. Larry Price drew the lead off walk and after a Cody Stewart ground out, moving Price up 90 feet, Austin Clapp would single to right field and score Price for the Owls first run. Keeping the rally going, Dustin Kremer singled to center field, advancing Clapp and with a sacrifice fly from the bat of Spagnola moving Clapp and Kremer, a walk from St. Pierre would load the bases for WWU. Kemper, hit his second home run on the day, this one being a grand slam, which would give the Owls its first lead, 5-1 over the Pirates.
 
In the top of the sixth, WWU added another run to the board, after a Dakota Smith double down left field line, extending the Owls lead to 6-1. However, Park was able to get two of those runs back in the half of their inning, off two hits. Then plated another run in the bottom of the seventh, as Aaron Garcia singled, followed by a sacrifice bunt and ground out, putting Garcia in scoring position for Zach Harris, as Harris singled to right with two outs to score Garcia and cut the Owls lead to 6-3.
 
WWU responded by scoring seven runs on five hits, to give the Owls the 13-3 advantage, as all seven runs were scored on two outs for the Owls. Dustin Kremer would collect his third home run on the season, with a two run home run over the left field fence in the inning, giving WWU a boost of energy from the plate.
 
Park University however, weren't going away quietly, as the Pirates scored four runs on three hits in the bottom of the ninth inning, although the Owls defense would maintain composure and record the three outs to secure game two 13-8.
 
Kemper, continued to stay hot at the plate in game two, going 3-for-4, collecting a team-high five RBI's and scoring two runs. Stewart, Clapp and Kremer each totaled a pair of hits in the game, as Clapp recorded three RBI's.
 
On the mound, Ryan Yuengel collected his fifth win on the season, while James Ball recorded the save, as the senior allowed five runs on six hits, and struck out four batters in 3.2 innings of work.
 
" I'm glad we were able to manage a split today," said head coach Darren Munns. "We will have to play better defense in the near future than we did in today's second game."
 
The Owls will be back in action and return home for a weekend series against Hannibal-LaGrange University. The three game series will begin on Friday with a 3:00 p.m. start.
 
Fans check back on wwuowls.com later this week for a full preview of this AMC series from Owls Field.

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