FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University Baseball team was swept by Missouri Baptist University on Friday evening in a doubleheader. The Owls dropped game one, 4-2, and the second game, 9-3.
 
The Owls and Spartans return to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 12th for a single game starting at 1 p.m.
 
Game One
Game Flow
The Owls struck first in the in game one as they scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Patrick Dillion singled, to lead off the inning for the Owls. Matt Priest followed with a walk putting two runners on with one out. Both runners moved up on a ground out. With two outs Dillion scored the first run of the game on a passed ball. Priest came in to score on a Grant Garrett single putting the Owls ahead 2-0.
 
Missouri Baptist trimmed the lead down to one, 2-1, after the top of the third inning, After back to back singles, the Spartans had the runners on the corners. Culver Plant hit a sacrifice fly putting scoring one and trimming the lead down to, 2-1.
 
The Spartans offense started clicking after scoring the one run in the top of the third, as Missouri Baptist scored at least one run in every inning for the rest of the game. In the top of the fourth, Daniel Bradley scored on a Hector Candeleria single. Brian Poupore gave the Spartans the lead, 3-2, in the top of the fifth after hitting a solo home run.
 
The Owls threatened to score in the top of the bottom of the fifth. With one out Grant Garrett reached on a Tim Hergert's error. After the second out of the inning Larry Price reached on a Culver Plants bobble and WWU had two runners on base. However, they were left on base as the next batter for William Woods grounded out.
 
Missouri Baptist stretched its lead to 7-2 after scoring two runs in the top of the sixth and two more in the top of the seventh innings. The Owls started battling back in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs, Tanner Wetrich singled and Larry Price reached on an error putting two one. Alex St. Pierre followed with a single loading the bases. After a pitching change, Ryan Phillips singled, which scored Wetrich. Jordan Dey followed with a single scoring Price trimming the Spartans lead down to 7-4. However after another pitching change, the Owls threat ended and the Owls dropped game one, 7-4.
 
By the Numbers
9 – John Cavness allowed nine hits to Missouri Baptist in game one
4 – The Owls scored four runs in the first game of the doubleheader
2 – WWU scored two runs in the second and in the seventh inning
5 – The Spartans scored a run or more in the last five innings
1 – Ryan Phillips led the Owls with two hits in the game, the only player with multi hits
1 – The Owls drew one walk in the first game
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – John Cavness, 6.1 IP, 9H, 7R (5ER), 2BB's, 2K's
MBU – Donnie Lovelady, 6.2 IP, 5H, 4R (0ER), 1BB, 7K's
 
Game Two
Game Flow
The Spartans started the scoring early and often, as they scored in six of the nine innings, in the second game of the double header. Missouri Baptist scored the first run on a Daniel Bradley ground taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Spartans did not score again in the first as they left one on base.
 
Missouri Baptist stretched its lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning. Josh Miguel grounded out but it was enough to score one run. Tim Hergert followed with a single to left center scoring the second run of the inning for the Spartans.
 
After the Owls went down in order, the Spartans added its fourth run of the game on a Ryan Phillips wild pitch.
 
William Woods offense struggled to get anything going off game two starter, Jared Crescentini who struck out 13 Owls and only allowed five hits in his seven innings of work.
 
Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning the Owls broke onto the scoreboard with a two out rally. Wetrich singled to right center and advanced to second on a Price walk. St. Pierre followed with a double down the left field line scoring Wetrich and putting the Owls on the board.
 
The game remained 5-1 until the top of the eighth inning. The Spartans stretched the lead to 7-1 after scoring two in the top of the eighth inning.
 
The Owls bats started to come to life in the bottom of the eighth inning. St. Pierre singled to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on a ground out. With one out and Pierre on second, Dey doubled to left center scoring Pierre. Dey came around to score on a Patrick Dillion ground out putting the Owls down, 7-3.
 
MBU added the two runs back in the top of the ninth when Angel Cruz singled thru the hole at second base, scoring two, and putting the Spartans ahead, 9-3. The Owls put one runner on base in game two but could not get anything going and dropped game two, 9-3.
 
By the Numbers
3 – The Owls scored three runs in game two
15 – WWU struck out 15 times in game two
7 – William Woods collected seven hits in game two
3 – As a team, WWU drew three walks in game two
8 – Ryan Phillips struck out eight in five innings
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Ryan Phillips, 5 IP, 7H, 5R (3ER), 1BB, 8K's
MBU – Jared Crescentini, 7 IP, 5H, 1R (1ER), 2BB's 13K's