FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University Baseball team won fourth straight game Friday afternoon as they won the first two games of three game series against William Baptist 9-3 and 5-4. WWU will play the final game of the series Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. start.
In the first contest,
Taran Oulton broke a 14-year long single season record for innings pitched (7). Oulton recorded 8 innings pitched this season. Also showing out in their final series of the season was
Marquise Doherty who knocked one out of the park for a walk-off victory.
Game One
The Owls were the first to put points on the board. In the bottom of the first inning
Marquise Doherty was able to reach home on sacrifice fly to right field. The run put WWU ahead 1-0.
Williams Baptist responded in the top of the third as they posted three runs in the inning. Jose Rojas scored the tying run, Jacob Brown's run gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead and Luke Hardy was able to push their lead to 3-1.
William Woods was able to respond to the WBU run in the bottom of the third when Doherty scored his second run of the night and put the Owls behind 1.
After a hot third inning, the Eagles slowed down in the top of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth inning WWU was able regain their lead.
Brian Granton got things started early as he was able to score on an Eagles error. Moments later Wimer also scored on an error. With a 4-3
Isaiah Gibbs was able to stretch their lead to 5-3 when he reached home plate.
Williams Baptist would not respond in the top of the fifth.
Like the fourth inning, the Owls had hot bats. Russle Strilchuck and Granton both reached home on batted balls and put WWU ahead 6-3.
Williams Woods went on to score two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Eagles remained scoreless.
The Owls would take the first contest 9-3.
Game Two
Much like the first game, William Woods was the first to put a run on the board. Midway through the inning Gibbs swiped home plate thanks to a Doherty single down shallow center field.
The Owls remained ahead 1-0 until the top of the fourth inning when Brown reached home on a batted ball and tied the game 1-1. Moments later, Cam Smith would record a run for the Eagles and put them ahead 2-1.
It would not be until the bottom of the fifth inning that WWU would respond the WBU run. Towards the end of the inning,
Zach Smith scored on a Strilchuck double down deep right center field. Minutes later Strilchuck would score himself and put the Owls back on top 3-2.
Both teams went scoreless until the top of the eight inning when Smith scored his second run of the night to put the Eagles back ahead 4-3.
William Woods tied the game in the bottom of the eight when Wimer scored on a sacrifice out.
With the game now tied 4-4 the Eagles needed to make something happen, but due to the great defense from William Woods they were unable to do so.
In the bottom of the night inning, Doherty hit a huge ball out of the park they gave the Owls a 5-4 walk-off victory.
