FULTON, Mo. – On Monday night, the William Woods University baseball team split its American Midwest Conference doubleheader with Columbia College. The Cougars topped the Owls in game one, 4-3, before the Owls answered back taking game two, 7-4.
 
With the win in game two, the Owls took the season series over the Cougars.
 
The Owls return to action on Friday, April 13th when they host Park University in American Midwest Conference action. Friday is the single game starting at 4 p.m.
 
Game One
Game Flow
After a quick top of the first inning for Owls starter, Dany Paradis-Giroux, the Owls bats came to life in the bottom of the first. Frankie Valle tripled to right center and he came into score on a Patrick Dillon single to left center. Nolan Aherin followed with a single up the middle putting two on. Tyler Cunningham drew a walk, which loaded the bases. Marquise Doherty followed with a sacrifice fly by center field scoring Dillon and the Owls led 2-0. Cunningham came into score on a Cougar error and WWU led 3-0 after the first inning.
 
Paradis-Giroux came out in the top of the second and third inning as he set the Cougars down in order. In the second, he got a pop out, fly out and line out. In the top of the third, Paradis-Giroux came out got a pop out, strike out and a ground out.
 
Nolan Aherin doubled to start the bottom of the third inning for the Owls. He went to third on a Cunningham's ground out. However, the Owls could not get another run across the plate and WWU led 3-0 going to the top of the fourth.
 
The Cougars started chipping away at the Owls lead in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Andrew Warner walked. He went to second on a passed ball and Alex Del Rio reached on a walk. Ethan Howser singled to right scoring Warner. On the play, Aherin threw out Josh Mobley trying to go to third. Paradis-Giroux got Justin Randle to ground out to end the inning.
 
Columbia continued to in the top of the fifth. Ward Mershon reached on a single. He advanced to third on an error. Paradis-Giroux got Tim Fox to strike out but Mershon scored on a Hunter Trowbride groundout.
 
The game remained 3-2 in favor of the Owls heading to the top of the seventh. Taran Oulton got the first two Cougars out before the Owls ran into trouble. Fox reached on a walk and Tanner Allen singled down the line. Jordan Wright hit a ground ball to short, but the Owl misplayed the ball and the game was tied at 3-3. Blade McKee came up and doubled scoring the go ahead run for the Cougars at 4-3.
 
The Owls came up needing to score one run to keep the game alive, and with one out, Patrick Dillon reached on an error. On the second out of the inning, a strikeout, Dillon stole second base putting the tying run in scoring position. After an Intentional walk to Cunningham, Marquise Doherty came up to the plate and struck out ending the game. WWU dropped game one, 4-3.  
 
By the Numbers
6 – WWU combined for six hits
6 – The Owls pitching staff recorded six strikeouts
2 – WWU had two extra base hits in the game
2 – Frankie Valle and Nolan Aherin led the Owls with two hits each
3 – The Owls scored three runs in the contest
3 – Three different Owls had an RBI
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Dany Paradis-Giroux, 4.2 IP, 3H, 2R (1ER), 2BBs, 3Ks
CC – JW McGraw, 4 IP, 5H, 3R (2ER), 1BBs, 3Ks
  
Game Two
Game Flow
Collin Kessler got the start for the Owls in game two, and he came out in a grove as he retired the Cougars in order in the first inning. After a scoreless bottom of the first, Kessler continued to be in a grove as the Cougars for the second straight inning, were retired in order.
 
In the bottom of the second inning, the owls struck first. With one out, Glen DesBouillons reached on a Cougars error. After a strikeout, Josh Nicol singled to center and DesBouillons went to third and scored on a Cougar error putting the Owls ahead, 1-0.
 
The Cougars answered back in the top of the third inning. Tim Fox was hit by a pitch and went to second on a Brad Prebay walk. After sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Kessler walked Jordan Wright loading the bases. McKee hit a sacrifice fly scoring one and tying the game at 1-1.
 
The game remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the sixth inning. After a ground out, Warner doubled down the left field line. After a ground out, the Owls looked as if they would get out of the inning however, Ethan Howser singled to left scoring Warner and putting the Cougars ahead, 1-0.
 
The Owls bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth inning. Aherin singled to start off the single. After a fielder's choice, Doherty doubled off the left field wall putting runners on second and third. Dillon walked to load the bases before the Cougars made a pitching change. DesBouillons cleared the bases with a double down the left field line, putting the Owls ahead 4-2.
 
Columbia looked to get a rally going in the top of the seventh inning. After a strikeout, Prebay reached on a walk. After another strikeout, Jordan Wright was hit by a pitch putting two on. However, Jeremy Hidalgo, who in relief, struck out McKee ending the inning.
 
The Cougars put the first two runners on in the top of the eighth inning as Hidalgo hit the first two batters of the inning. The Cougars scored one when Ethan Howser reached on an error. The next batter grounded out scoring the second run of the inning for CC, tying the game at 4-4.
 
The Owls responded in the bottom of the inning as Dillon reached on a walk. After the next two were retired, Josh Nicol hit a ball to the warning track, but the Cougars dropped the ball and Dillon scored putting the Owls ahead, 5-4. WWU scored two more in the innings and heading to the ninth, WWU led 7-4.
 
Leading by three in the top of the ninth, Adam Grunden came in and faced three batters. He got Reed Sprinkle and Jordan Wright to strike out swinging. With two outs, McKee came up and grounded out to second ending the game and WWU came away with a 7-4 victory.
 
By the Numbers
7 – WWU scored seven runs in game two
5 – The Owls had five hits in game two
3 – Glen DesBouillons had three RBIs for the Owls
3 – WWU had three doubles in the victory
3 – William Woods scored three runs in the sixth and three in the eighth to earn the victory
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Collin Kessler, 6 IP, 2H, 2R (2ER), 3BBs, 0Ks
CC – Christian Wall, 5.1 IP, 4H, 4R (3ER), 2BBs, 12Ks