NEW ALBANY, Miss. – The William Woods University Baseball team opened its 2017 season on Friday afternoon but the Owls were swept in a doubleheader by Blue Mountain College. WWU dropped game one, 6-4, and game two, 10-3.
 
Jansen Smith and Matt Priest led the Owls with two hits in the doubleheader. WWU was outhit by the Toppers 21-11 in the doubleheader. As a team, the Owls combined to hit .204 from the plate. 
 
WWU returns to action on Saturday February, 4th when they close out the four-game set with the Toppers of Blue Mountain College. Game one of the doubleheader is set to start at 12 p.m.
 
Game One
Game Flow
Leading off the top of the first inning the Owls first two hitters were retired in order before the Toppers starter went wild as he hit the next two Owls batters putting two on for the Owls. Josh Nicol came up and singled to first, scoring one and putting the Owls ahead, 1-0. However, Zach Smith was retired and the Owls threat was ended.
 
Blue Mountain answered back in the bottom of the inning. With a runner on second, Blake Key doubled scoring one and tying the game at 1-1. The Toppers scored two more runs in the inning and took a 3-1 lead after one inning of play.
 
WWU cut the lead down to one, 3-2, in the top of the second inning. With runners on second and third, Nolan Aherin grounded out, scoring Glen DesBouillons. That would be all the Owls would score in the inning.
 
The Toppers grew its lead to 6-2 over the Owls in the bottom of the second inning. Peyton Callahan, Caleb Leach drove in a run in the inning and Blue Mountain added one more as they led the Owls 6-2 after two innings of play.
 
William Woods started chipping away at the Toppers lead in the top of the third. With a runner on third, Jansen Smith doubled scoring one and trimming the lead down to three, 6-3. The Owls were not done in the inning as J. Smith scored on a Zach Smith fielders' choice. After two and a half innings of play the Owls trailed 6-4.
 
After coming into the game in the bottom of the second, Tristan Steffens kept the Toppers off balance as he pitched four and two thirds innings only allowing three hits the remainder of the contest, which was his Owls debut.
 
After the Owls scored the two runs in the third inning the Owls bats cooled off as they would only get three more hits for the remainder of the contest and William Woods would be defeated 6-4, by Blue Mountain in the first game of the doubleheader.
 
By the Numbers
5 – WWU compiled five hits in the first game of the season
4 – The Owls scored four runs in the contest against the Toppers
1 – Five different Owls recorded a hit in the contest
4 – William Woods drew five walks in the contest
4 – The Owls pitching staff struck out four Toppers in the contest
2 – WWU hit two doubles in the contest
1 – Jansen Smith and Matt Priest both hit one double in the victory
 
Starters Lines
WWU – Dany Paradis-Giroux, 1.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 1K
BMC – Josh Letson, 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2K's
 
Game Two
Game Flow
Over the first two and a half innings of game two, neither teams' offense could get anything going against either starting pitchers. However, the Toppers bats woke up in the bottom of the third inning of the contest. Blue Mountain took advantage of two Owls errors and some timely hitting to take a 3-0 lead over the Owls after three innings of play.
 
William Woods bats were quiet through the first five innings of the contest as they combined for three hits. Blue Mountain stretched its lead to 5-0 over the Owls in the bottom of the fourth inning. Peyton Callahan hit a sacrifice fly scoring one and Miciah Heard had an RBI single.
 
With one out in the top of the sixth, Nolan Aherin walked and stole second base. The next batter, Tyler Cunningham singled to center scoring Aherin and putting the Owls down, 5-1. Ryan Phillips came up and was hit by a pitch putting two runners on base. However, Jalen Poindexter grounded into a double play ending the inning
 
The game remained 5-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Toppers put five runs on the board extending its lead to 10-1 over the Owls. Blue Mountain also took advantage of one Owls error.
 
Heading to the final three outs of the contest, Ryan Phillips led off by being hit by his second pitch of the contest. He scored on the very next hitter as pitch hitter Konrad Kemper doubled to left field. Kemper was award third base on a fielder's obstruction. He came into score on an Alex St. Pierre ground out. After St. Pierre's groundout, the Owls found themselves down 10-3. Following the groundout, Josh Nicol reached on a walk, however, he was left on base as the next two hitters were retired and the Owls were defeated 10-3.
 
By the Numbers
14 – WWU gave up 14 hits in the contest
6 – William Woods collected six hits in game two
4 – The Owls committed four errors in game two
3 – WWU collected three RBI in the contest
1 – Konrad Kemper and Glen DesBouillons collected one double in the contest
2 – Ryan Phillips was hit by two pitches in the contest
3 – WWU players were hit by three pitches in the second game
 
Starters Lines
WWU – Ryan Schmidt, 3.1 IP, 6H, 5 R (4ER), 1BB, 2K's
BMC – Thedford Hollis, 6.0 IP, 5H, 1 R (0ER), 1 BB, 2K's