FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University baseball team dropped the first game of the three-game set to visiting Columbia College, 10-3, on Friday night at Owl Field.
 
With the loss the Owls fall to 20-23 on the season and 12-10 in AMC play, while Columbia improves to 27-13 and 17-5 in AMC.
 
WWU returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, April 15th when they conclude the three-game set with Columbia. The Cougars and Owls will play a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
 
Game Flow
After a scoreless inning and a half the Owls collected scored the first run of the contest. After the first two owls were retired, Konrad Kemper came up and took a 2-2 pitch over the left center field wall for a home run putting the Owls ahead 1-0.
 
WWU had scoring chances in the third and fourth inning but could not get a run across the plate. With runners on the corner and two outs in the third, the Owls struck out to end the threat. The Owls missed another opportunity in the bottom of the fourth to get a run across the plate, as They had runners on first and second. Nolan Aherin beat out infield single but on the play Jansen Smith was throwing out trying to score from second base.
 
Columbia's bats came to life against Chase Feucht in the top of the sixth inning. Ethan Howser singled to start the inning and Andrew Warner followed with a homerun to center putting the Cougars ahead, 2-1. Columbia would add two more in the sixth and they held a 4-1 lead going to the bottom of the inning.
 
 William Woods answered back in the bottom of the sixth inning. WWU scored two runs on three hits. In the frame, Nolan Aherin singled home both runs trimming the Cougars lead down to 4-3. WWU could not a runner in from third and left one stranded on base.
 
After the sixth inning collected one hit for the remainder of the contest, while the Cougars bats remain hot. The Cougars scored one run in the seventh, two in the eighth and three in the ninth inning taking a 10-3 lead over the Owls.
 
WWU collected one hit in the bottom of the ninth inning but that would all the would get as they dropped game one, 10-3, to Columbia.
 
By the Numbers
10 – WWUs offense collected 10 hits in the contest
3 – The Owls scored three runs in the first game of the series
1 – Konrad Kemper hit one home run in the game
4 – Nolan Aherin led the Owls with four hits in the contest
2 – Nolan Aherin drove in two of the Owls three runs
16 – The Owls pitching staff gave up 16 hits in the game
6 – WWUs pitchers recorded six strikeouts in the game
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Chase Feucht, 5.1 IP, 8H, 4R (3ER), 0BBs, 3Ks
CC – Zach Maskill, 5 IP, 8H, 3R (3ER), 4BBs, 2Ks