FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University softball team split the doubleheader with Missouri Baptist University on Friday afternoon. The Owls took game one, 1-0, before the Spartans came back taking game two, 6-5, in the American Midwest Conference Game of the Week.
 
Leading the Owls in the doubleheader was Amanda Bouchey who had three hits for the Owls. WWU had 11 hits in the contest. Alli Massy and Ari Arnold led the Owls with two RBIs in the doubleheader. Allison Waskow picked up the win in game one.
 
WWU returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 31st when they host Harris-Stowe State University in AMC action. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. The Owls will honor its seniors between the contests.
 
Game One
Game Flow
The Owls and the Spartans defense was impermeable, going three up, three down for five and a half innings until the Owls finally broke through. WWU and MBU struggled stringing hits together until the fifth inning.
 
It looked as if the Spartans would be the first ones to score as Ally Gischer doubled with two outs. She went to third on a Jordan Corby single. However, Allison Waskow got Caitlin McNiff to fly out in foul territory ending the inning.
 
With the game still scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lindy Wilson sparked the Owls offense with a leadoff triple. Ari Arnold put the ball in play and forced the Spartan defense to make a play on Wilson, who just snuck by crossing the plate, putting the Owls ahead, 1-0.  WWU took its 1-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning.
 
Waskow continued to keep the Spartans off balance. After she issued a walk, she got a pop out and a strike out. With two outs and the tying run on first, Waskow got Gisher to ground into a fielder's choice and WWU came away with a 1-0 victory.
 
By the Numbers
1 – WWU scored the lone run in the contest
3 – The Owls collected three hits in the game
1 – Ari Arnold drove in the lone run of the game
3 – Three different Owls had a hit
2 – Allison Waskow only allowed two hits in the game
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Allison Waskow, 7 IP, 2H, 0R (0ER), 2BBs, 5Ks
MBU – Baleigh Koester, 6 IP, 3H, 1R (1ER), 0BBs, 5Ks
 
Game Two
Game Flow
It looked as if Missouri Baptist would score the first run of the game when they got the first two runners on. After a sac bunt put two runners in scoring position, Owls starter Bre Logan settled down. She got a pop out to score and a strike out to end the inning.
 
The Owls were the first to score in the bottom of the second when Amanda Bouchey and Devyn Burton hit back to back doubles. Burton drove in Bouchey putting the Owls ahead, 1-0. That would be all the Owls would get in the inning.
 
The Spartans threatened to tie the game in the top of the third inning. With one out the Spartans had two runners on, However, Logan settled down and kept them on base and WWU lead 1-0 after two and a half innings.
 
In the top of the fourth that the Spartans would put two on the board to take the lead of 2-1. In the inning the Spartans scored one an a Delissa Dennison single and another on a Gischer single.
 
MBU put up two more runs in the top of the fifth to extend their lead by three, 4-1. In the fifth, Sarah Landon had a two run RBI single to left field that extended the Spartans lead.
 
The Owls answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning when they scored four runs, taking the lead once again. The Owls rally began with a single by Bri Devellano and then a double by Lindy Wilson. Ari Arnold hit a single to score Devellano. A sacrifice fly by Emily Robinett scored Wilson and Ali Massey hit an inside the park homerun to score two more putting the Owls ahead, 5-4.
 
The Spartans scored two more runs in the top of the sixth. With a runner on second, Corby doubled to deep right center scoring one. Corby came into score on a single by Meagan Elder and the Spartans led 6-5.  
 
WWU could not get anything going in either the sixth or seventh inning as they were retired in order in both and dropped game two, 6-5, to the Spartans.
 
By the Numbers
8 – WWU pitching staff combined for eight strikeouts
5 – The Owls scored five runs in the second game
2 – Alli Massey drove in two runs in the contest
6 – Six different Owls had a hit
2 – Amanda Bouchey had Devyn Burton led the Owls with two hits
5 – WWU had five extra base hits in the contest
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Bre Logan, 4.1 IP, 6H, 4R (4ER), 4BBs, 5Ks
MBU – Delissa Dennison, 4.2 IP, 8H, 5R (5ER), 1BBs, 4Ks