BELLEVUE, Neb.— The No. 24-ranked William Woods University baseball team were unable to make it two comebacks in a row on Wednesday afternoon, as the Owls fell to Mayville State University, 6-3, which eliminated them from the NAIA Opening Round and ended its 2015 season.
The scoring got started for Mayville State (41-21), in the bottom of the first, as the team scored four runs on three hits, highlighted by Nate Williams 3-run homer, which scored John Pistulka and Aaron Miller, who reached base earlier on a single and walk respectively.
In the bottom of the third, the Comets added another run, as Miller hit a one out single up the middle, which brought home Spencer Mallonee, who led the inning off with a single. The team had a chance to break the game wide open, as they had bases loaded with just one out, but reliever
Caleb Bounds, was able to get John Cahill to pop-out and Darin Stanislawski to strike out, which kept the lead at 5-0.
The Comets continued to threaten in the bottom of the fourth, as they had the bases loaded yet again with one out, after a single and two walks, but
James Ball, who came on in relief of Bounds, was able to get Miller to pop-out and Williams to ground into a fielder's choice, which ended the inning and kept the Mayville State's advantage at 4-0, after four innings of play.
In the top of the fifth, the Owls (39-14) offense got going, as
Javier Ledesma led off with a double and he was able to move onto third, after
Dakota Smith singled to right.
Larry Price then executed the squeeze play perfectly, allowing him to be safe at first and bring Ledesma home, to make it a 5-1 game.
Nick Spagnola followed up Price with a single to center, which loaded up the bases. After a strikeout,
Dustin Kremer reached base on a defensive error, but that allowed pinch-runner
Patrick Dillion to score, making it a 5-2 outing.
The team had a chance to tie or take the lead, but reliever Garrett Osterode, was able to retire the final two Owl batters and keep the teams' three-run lead intact.
The Owls struck again in the top of the seventh, as they scored one run on three hits, with the RBI coming off the bat of Kremer, who singled to right, which scored
Cody Stewart, who hit a two-out single in his at-bat.
The Comets would put an insurance run on the board in the bottom of the eighth, as Pistulka's RBI single, scored pinch-runner Brandon Weber, to make it a 6-3 game. WWU was unable to get a rally going in the top of the ninth, which gave Mayville State the three-run victory.
Offensively, William Woods totaled nine hits, and were led by Spagnola going 2-for-5. Kremer led the team in the RBI department, totaling two, while going 1-for-4 at the dish. Price, Stewart,
Austin Clapp,
Stephen Kohler, Ledesma and Smith added the other hits.
The Comets, meanwhile, totaled 13 hits and were led by the duo of Pistulka and Zach MIchic, as they combined to go 6-for-9, with two RBI. Williams totaled a game-high three RBI, while five other players had one hit.
The loss ends the teams' season in heartbreaking fashion, but the Owls still finished with 39 victories, which is the second most in school history, while the pitching staff was arguably one of the best in the NAIA.
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com for a full season recap on the William Woods University baseball team.
