FORT WORTH, Texas – The William Woods University softball team opened the 2020 season with three games at the NAIA Cowtown Classic. The Owls went 1-2, winning their third and final game of the day on a walk-off single.
The Owls fell 2-0 to Kansas Wesleyan to open the season, followed by a five-inning 11-2 loss to Friends. In the final game of the day, the Owls grabbed their first win with a 5-4 decision over Ottawa.
The Owls head back to the field Saturday morning for two more games at the NAIA Cowtown Classic. They face Tabor at 9 a.m. and Bethany at 11 a.m.
Kansas Wesleyan def. William Woods, 2-0
The Owls were held to just one hit from pinch hitter
Madison Ausfahl.
KWU scored their two runs in the fifth inning with an RBI triple and an RBI follow-up single.
Brittany Roady (0-1) pitched the complete game. She struck out six while allowing five hits and two earned runs.
Friends def. William Woods, 11-2 (5 inn.)
Friends put up their first run in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice fly. They added eight runs in the second inning, all unearned.
In the top of the third,
Annika Ramon led off with a single.
Anna Counts' ground out moved Ramon to second, and
Emma Taylor's single moved her to third.
Abbi Pringer hit her first collegiate RBI single to score Ramon and put the Owls on the board. Taylor advanced to third on the play, and with
Hanna Knipp's single, she crossed home plate for the Owls' second run.
In the bottom of the fourth, Friends scored two more on a two RBI double to go up 11-2.
The Owls were unable to score in the top of the fifth, ending the game with an 11-2 loss.
M. Ausfahl (0-1) was credited with the loss. She pitched 1.1 innings and struck out one.
Alexis Hassler came in as relief and pitched the remaining 2.2 innings.
William Woods def. Ottawa, 5-4
OU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third off a WWU error. In the bottom half of the inning, WWU evened the score off an error.
WWU took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a bunt single from
Anna Counts to score
Bri Devellano, but OU scored three in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Owls evened the score with two runs. Devellano started off the inning with a double to right field.
Regan Wilde singled to move Devellano to third, and after two strikeouts,
Emma Taylor doubled to left field, bringing home Devellano and Wilde.
The Owls' defense held OU to three up, three down in the top of the seventh to keep the score tied at 4-4.
Lindy Wilson led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. A sacrifice bunt from
Jessi Butler moved her to second, and a walk-off single from Devellano scored her to ended the game with a 5-4 win.
The Owls recorded 11 hits in the game. Taylor went 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBI and a run scored. Devellano went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Mychael Jett (1-0) pitched the complete game win. She struck out five while allowing four runs.
