Written By Jason Vittone

William Woods University hosted Columbia College on Friday in Fulton, Mo., in a match-up between the top two baseball teams in the American Midwest Conference standings.
 
The Owls dropped game one of the doubleheader 7-4. Columbia took an early lead on an RBI single in the top of the first inning by Kendrick Delima. The Owls answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on a two RBI double by Easton Wallace.
 
CC took the lead again with a four-run third inning. They tacked on two more in the top of the sixth inning to extend their lead.
 
The Owls rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth, and brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh before falling short in the opener.
 
Logan Bexton (2-1) took the loss for the Owls. He worked seven innings, allowed 11 hits and six earned runs.
 
Chris Wall (6-0) earned the win for the Cougars. Wall went five and 2/3 innings, allowed eight hits, four runs and struck out nine. Conner Darnell picked up his fourth save of the year.
 
Wallace led the Owls at the plate going three for four with two RBI's, a double and a run scored. Marcus Gonzalez and Chase Gibson added two hits apiece in the loss.
 
It was all CC early in game two. The Cougars scored two in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 7-0 lead. The Owls cut into the lead with a four run fifth inning punctuated by a three-run home run off the bat of Isaiah Gibbs.
 
Gibbs struck again in the bottom of the seventh. With the Owls trailing 7-4, Gibbs ripped a two-run RBI double down the left field line to bring the Owls within a run heading into eighth.
 
The Cougars would respond again. CC scored two runs in the eighth to extend their lead to 9-6.
 
Josiah Imhoff would hold the Owls in check over the next two innings. Darnell came on in the ninth to collect his fifth save of the year for the Cougars.
 
Jake Deakins (1-0) got the win for CC. Deakins went three and 1/3 innings, allowed four hits, four runs and struck out three. Owen Tripp (1-2) took the loss for the Owls. Tripp went four innings, allowed 11 hits, and five earned runs.
 
Gibbs was stellar at the plate for the Owls. He went three for five with a double, home run, five RBI's and a run scored. Gonzalez added three hits, including a double in the 9-6 loss.
 
William Woods falls to 12-8 on the season and 5-5 in the AMC. Columbia College improves to 17-4 on the year and 8-2 in league play. The two teams resume the four game series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for noon at the Backer Sports Complex.