JOPLIN, Mo. – The William Woods University baseball team closed out its trip to Joplin, Missouri with a 13-5 victory over Viterbo (Wis.) University on Sunday afternoon. The win for the Owls is its fourth win of the season.
 
Neal Aherin led the way for the Owls as he had three hits and drove in five RBIs in the contest. Tyler Cunningham, Zach Smith and Glen DesBouillons followed with two hits each. Making his first start of the season, freshman Tristian Steffens went four innings to earn the victory.
 
William Woods returns to the field on February 25th when they travel to Batesville, Arkansas to face Lyon College in American Midwest Conference action. Friday is a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
 
Game Flow
The scoring for the Owls started early and happened often as they scored a season-high 13 runs against the V-Hawks. In the top of the first, with one out, Ryan Phillips hit a home run over the left field fence putting the Owls ahead, 1-0.
 
The lead did not last long as Viterbo answered back in the bottom of the inning off Owls starter Tristian Steffens. Viterbo scored one on a double to left field that tied the contest at 1-1.
 
WWU broke the game open in the top of the second inning. Jansen Smith walked and Nolan Aherin reached on an error, followed by a Glen DesBouillons bunt single, to load the bases. Neal Aherin cleared the bases when he hit a grand slam to left field putting the Owls ahead, 5-1.
 
William Woods grew the lead to 6-1 in the top of the third inning. With runners on second and third and one out, DesBouillons hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score a run. WWU scored another run making it 7-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Tyler Cunningham doubled to left field.
 
Viterbo trimmed the lead down to four, 7-3, in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs and a runner on first, Joe Cliver hit a two-run home run to left field to cut into the Owls lead.
 
Both the Owls and V-Hawks would score in in the fifth inning. First was the Owls when Neal Aherin singled scoring one in the top half. Viterbo followed with an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning.
 
After a scoreless sixth inning, the Owls put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh. WWU put five runs across the plate on six hits. Alex St Pierre collected an RBI single, Cunningham had a two run RBI single, Zach Smith and Konrad Kemper also picked up RBI singles in the inning.
 
Viterbo loaded the bases to start the bottom of the seventh on three straight walks by the Owls pitching staff. After a sacrifice fly, score one the next two V-Hawks were retired and the Owls came away with a 13-5 victory.
 
By the Numbers
5 – Neal Aherin drove in five of the 13 runs for the Owls
6 – WWU drew six walks in the contest
3 – Neal Aherin collected three hits to lead the Owls
13 – As a team, William Woods had 13 hits
7 – The Owls had seven players collect at least one RBI in the contest
7 – WWU had seven players pick up at least one hit in the win
4 – William Woods had four extra base hits in the contest
9 – The Owls pitching staff had nine strike outs