SHAWNEE, Okla. – The William Woods University Softball season got underway on Saturday at the St. Gregory's University Tournament. The Owls opened up with a triple header, however the Owls dropped all three games on the contest.
 
Game One
Doane def. William Woods, 7-6
Game Flow
Hits and runs were hard to come by in the first two innings of the William Woods season opener against Doane College. Both teams combined for one hit in the first two innings of action. However, the bats came to life and runs started scoring in the third inning. Doane put three runs on the board in the top of the third inning taking a 3-0 lead.
 
The Owls bats cme to life in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Ari Arnold singled up the middle. Hannah Campbell followed with a triple to right center scoring the first Owls run of the season. Brailee Schulte singled home Campbell later. After the inning was complete the Tigers and Owls were tied at 3-3.
 
Doane took the lead in the top of the fourth inning as they took advantage of an William Woods error and a timely hit and scored two runs in the top of the fourth taking a 5-3 lead. Doane continued to battle and grew the lead to 7-3 in the top of the fifth inning.
 
WWU did not go away quietly as they started chipping away at the lead. The Owls got one back in the bottom of the fifth inning. The game remained 7-4 until the bottom of the seventh. The Owls scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh but could not get the tying run across the plate and fell 7-6.
 
By the Numbers
12 – The number of hits the Owls collected in its first game of the season
8 – The number of owls that collected a hit in the contest
8 – The number of runners left on base by the Owls.
2 – Brailee Schulte drove in two of the six runs for the Owls
.353 – WWU hit .353 as a team in the first game of the season.
 
Starting Pitchers Lines
WWU – Bre Logan, 7 IP, 6H 7R (6ER), 6BB's, 2K's
Doane – Mala Lemay, 2.2 IP, 4H, 3R (3ER), 0BB, 4K's
 
Game Two
No. 11 St. Gregory's def. William Woods, 2-1 (8 inn.)
Game Flow
The pitchers stole the show in game second as both teams combined for only two hits through five innings of actions. The Owls got their second of the game in the sixth inning of play. Campbell singled to center with one out and then stole second base. She advanced to third on a popped out but could not score.
 
St. Gregory's broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth. With a runner on second base, Sammy Leisinger singled through the left side of the infield scoring one and taking a 1-0 lead. The Owls would not go down quietly, as they answered back in the top seventh inning. With runners on first and second, Hillary Hentges singled through the right side scoring one and tying the game at 1-1. The Owls could not get another run across and the game went to extra innings.
 
The game remained until the bottom of the eighth inning, when St. Gregory scored the game the game-winning run on a single by Leisinger.
 
By the Numbers
5 – The number of hits the Owls collected against No. 11 St. Gregory's
5 – WWU had five players collect a hit against St. Gregory's
4 – Allison Waskow struck out four batters in the contest
1 – Hillary Hentges collected the lone RBI for the Owls
 
Starting Pitchers Lines
WWU – Allison Waskow, 7.1 IP, 4H, 2R (2ER), 3BB's, 4K's
SGU – Bryn Houlton, 8 IP, 5H, 1R (1ER), 0BB, 4K's
 
Game Three
Ottawa def. William Woods, 3-1
Game Flow
After a scoreless two innings of action, Ottawa broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Elisa Valenzuela singled home Amber Harris putting the Braves ahead 1-0. The Braves added to its lead in the top of the fourth inning and extended their lead to 2-0.
 
The Braves added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning, when Anna Morgan hit a sacrifice fly to right-center, putting Ottawa ahead 3-0.
 
William Woods continued to battle and in the top of the seventh inning, the Owls broke onto the scoreboard. With Emily Murphy came around to score on a Massey single. However, that would be all the Owls got and fell to Ottawa, 3-1.
 
By The Numbers
5 – The number of hits that Owls got in game three of the day
3 – Willaim Woods committed three errors in their final game of day one
3 – Owls recorded hits in the game; two were multi-hit games
1 – Allie Massey collected one double in the contest
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Sierra Jacques, 7 IP, 5H, 3R (3ER), 1BB, 2K's
Ottawa – Molli Morgan, 7 IP, 1R (0ER), 0BB, 3K's
 
Upcoming Games
The Owls return to action tomorrow when they play Briar Cliff University at 10 a.m. tomorrow and Ottawa University at 2 p.m. to close out the St. Gregory's Tournament