POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – The William Woods University baseball team swept College of the Ozarks (Mo.) Saturday afternoon. The Owls brought game one into an extra inning and pulled out a 7-5 win. They won game two 4-1, bringing them to 7-3 on the season.
The Owls will begin conference play on Friday, March 19, with a home doubleheader versus Missouri Baptist University starting at 1 p.m. They will close out the four-game series on Saturday with a second doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Game One
Ozarks took a 2-0 lead in the third inning off two sacrifice fly balls.
In the top of the fourth,
Connor Poulson brought home
Jordan Smith with his RBI single to deep left-center field, but Ozarks plated two more in the bottom of the fourth and one in the sixth to take a 5-1 lead.
The Owls rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh to even the score at 5-5.
Isaiah Gibbs led off the scoring on
Jack Niggemeier's two-out RBI single to left-center field. Smith then brought home
Alex Owens on his RBI single. After a pitching change,
Chase Gibson singled to shallow left field to score Niggemeier and Smith, tying the game at 5-5.
The Owls defense left two runners stranded as
Dylan Hansen pitched two strikeouts to end the inning and send the game into an extra inning.
Easton Wallace led off the top of the eighth with a game-winning homer over left field on a 3-2 count. After a pitching change and two outs, Smith hit an RBI single to right-center field to bring home Owens for the Owls' seventh run.
In the bottom of the inning,
Andrew Fyffe came in as the closer. After a hit and a walk, Fyffe struck out two. The final out of the game came on an infield ground out to give the Owls a 7-5 extra inning win.
Hansen (2-1) was credited with the win on the mound after coming in as relief. He pitched 3.2 innings and struck out four.
Andrew Fyffe (2) grabbed the save after pitching the final inning and striking out two.
Smith went 3-5 from the plate with two runs scored and two RBI, and Owens went 2-3 from the plate with two runs scored.
Game Two
Ozarks took an early lead off an error, giving them a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
In the top of the third, the Owls loaded up the bases with no outs. After one out on a foul fly ball, Gibson doubled to deep right-center field, clearing the bases to give the Owls a 3-1 lead.
Wallace added one more run in the top of the sixth with his second home run of the day, giving the Owls a 4-1 lead.
Owen Tripp (1-0) was credited with the win. Starting on the mound, he pitched 4.0 innings and struck out five.
Conrad Hansel (1) was credited with the save after coming in as the closer and pitching 1.0 innings.
