FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University baseball team dropped a pair of non-conference games to the College of the Ozarks on Wednesday afternoon. WWU was defeated 10-4, in the first game by the Bobcats and lost game two, 5-3.
 
WWU returns to action on Friday, April 21st when they travel to Hannibal, Missouri to face Hannibal-LaGrange University in American Midwest Conference action. First-pitch is set for 1 p.m.
 
Game One
Game Flow
The Bobcats of College of the Ozarks started the scoring in the top of the first inning. Chad Reusch singled and came into score on a Dylan Heitz double. College of the Ozarks left two runners on in the first inning.
 
WWU came back tying the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning. With runners on first and second, Tyler Cunningham moved up to third on a wild pitch. Cunningham scored on a single by Ryan Phillips. On the play, Jansen Smith was thrown out going to third to end the inning.
 
College of the Ozarks stretched its lead to 5-1 in the top of the third inning. In the inning, JD Chadwell hit a sacrifice fly and Jesse Fisher had an RBI double and Tad Michell had a single putting the Bobcats ahead 5-1.
 
The Bobcats lead stretched to 9-1 before the Owls would score again in the contest. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Owls bats came to life. Tyler Bracht led off with a walk and Cunningham followed with a single to left-center. With two on, Patrick Dillon, who was pitch hitting, came up and hit a double down the left field line scoring both. Dillion came into score on a Matt Priest groundout putting the Owls down, 9-4.
 
That would be as close as the Owls would get in the first game as the Bobcats added one more in the top of the seventh and College of the Ozarks starter, Collan Thrasher shut down the Owls in the bottom of the inning. WWU dropped game one, 10-4.
 
By the Numbers
7 – WWU had seven hits in the first game of the doubleheader
4 – WWU committed four errors in the contest
4 – William Woods scored four runs in the first game
3 – Tyler Cunningham led the Owls with three hits in the contest
2 – Patrick Dillion drove in two runs in on a pinch-hit double
7 – The Owls pitching staff struck out seven in the contest
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Dany Paradis-Giroux, 4.2 IP, 9H, 8R (5ER), 2BBs, 4Ks
C of O – Collan Thrasher, 7 IP, 7H, 4R (3ER), 2BBs, 6Ks
 
Game Two
Game Flow
The Bobcats came out firing in the top of the first inning. With runners on second and third and one out, Chad Reusch came into score on a wild pitch. JD Chadwell singled to left field scoring another and the Owls trailed 2-0.
 
Nolan Aheirn got the Owls out to a fast start with a double to lead off the bottom of the first for the Owls. He advanced to third on an Alex St. Pierre ground out. Aherin scored the lone run for the Owls in the inning, when Alex Stephens balk. After one inning, the Owls trailed 2-1.
 
The game remained 2-1 until the top of the third inning. In the top of the third, Jacob Karlson took a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence putting the Bobcats ahead, 3-1. After the homerun, College of the Ozarks did not get anything else going in the inning.
 
College of the Ozarks scored its fourth run of the game in the top of the fifth inning when Austin Schweiss hit a homerun to left field putting the Bobcats ahead, 4-1.
 
WWU started to mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth inning. Nolan Aherin led off with a single. Alex St. Pierre followed with a single that the Bobcats centerfielder misplayed, which scored Aherin, and put St. Pierre on third base. St. Pierre came into score on Phillips sacrifice fly putting the Owls down, 4-3.
 
With the game at 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning, College of the Ozarks mustered one insurance run to grow its lead to 5-3. WWU looked to get a two-out rally going as Anthony Davison was hit by a pitch, and Aherin drew a walk putting two on with two outs. However, the Owls could not get a run across and dropped game two, 5-3.
 
By the Numbers
3 – WWU scored three runs in the contest
7 – The Owls pitching staff struck out seven
2 – Nolan Aherin led the Owls with two hits
5 – William Woods collected five hits in the contest
1 – WWU drew one walk in the contest
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Adam Lafferty, 3 IP, 3H, 3R (2ER), 1BBs, 1K
C of O – Alex Stephens, 7 IP, 5H, 3R (2 ER), 1BBs, 5Ks