JOPLIN, Mo. – The William Woods University baseball team dropped a heartbreaker to No. 13 Lyon College on Thursday evening. After rain pushed the games back, the Scots came away with a comeback victory, 6-5, over the Owls.
 
WWU led the 4-3 heading to the bottom of the eighth inning but the Owls could not close out the game as the Scots scored three runs in the eighth taking the lead. WWU could not come back and dropped the contest.
 
The Owls return to action on Friday, May 4th when they face Lindenwood University-Belleville in an elimination game. First-pitch is set for 10 a.m. at Joe Becker Stadium.
 
Game Flow
The Owls came out and of the gate swinging as Brian Granton tripled down the left field line. Nolan Aherin came to the plate and had a 1-0 count and he hit a two-run home run to right center field for his first home run of the season. His homerun put the Owls ahead 2-0.
 
Dany Paradis-Giroux came out dealing in the first inning as he struck out the first two batters he faced and then got Kyle West to ground out to end the inning.
 
The Owls grew the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning. Zach Smith reached on an error and went to second on a ground out. After a strikeout, Tyler Bracht was hit by a pitch and Frankie Valle drew a walk to load the bases. With the bases loaded Granton was hit by a pitch scoring one. WWU would leave the bases loaded in the inning.
 
Like the first inning, Paradis-Giroux came into the second inning and got a pop out before Zane Pritchard tripled to left field. After the triple, he got a line out and a ground out ending the inning.
 
The Scot broke their scoreless top of the third, the Scots came and scored its first run of the game. With two outs, Andrew Sauceda hit a home run to left field for the first run of the game.
 
The game remained 3-1 in favor of the Owls until the top of the sixth inning. In the sixth inning, the Owls grew the lead to 4-1. Patrick Dillon singled to left center. Glen DesBouillons reached on a bunt single to get two runners on for the Owls. After a wild pitch, Valle hit a sac fly to right center scoring one.
 
Lyon answered back in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Kylan Barnett singled and Kyle West followed with a single. With runners on second and third, Logan Reddick hit a sac fly to score on. On the very next batter hit a pop up that would have ended the inning, but the owls dropped it and the Scots scored another. After the inning, the Owls led 4-3.
 
The Scots came all the way back in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, West and Reddick hit back to back singles getting Lyon started. Pritchard walked, and the bases were loaded. After a pitching change, pitch hitter Gunner Start singled that scored two putting the Scots ahead 5-4. The Scots added another on an Owls error and after eight innings were complete, the Owls trailed 6-4.
 
Heading to its last at-bats, the Owls first batter was retired. Granton laid down a bunt and slipped out of the box and was thrown out at first base. Aherin followed with a double down the left field line to get the Owls started. With two outs, Marquise Doherty doubled to left scoring one putting the Owls down one, however, he rounded second and tried to get back but was thrown out and the Owls dropped the game, 6-5.
 
By the Numbers
9 – The Owls left nine runners on base in the contest
3 – WWU committed three errors to the Lyons
10 – William Woods struck out ten times at the plate
4 – WWU had four extra base hits in the game
4 – William Woods was hit by four pitches in the game
3 – Nolan Aherin led the owls with three hits
9 – The Owls had nine hits in the game
2 – Aherin led the Owls with two RBIs in the game
 
Starting Pitcher Lines
WWU – Dany Paradis-Giroux, 6 IP, 5H, 3R (2ER), 0BBs, 3Ks
Lyon – Tyson Campbell, 8 IP, 7H, 4R (4ER), 1BBs, 10Ks