KANSAS CITY, Kan. - William Woods (5-1) continued its hot start to the 2024 season, winning three of four games over the weekend. On Saturday, the Owls split a doubleheader with Hastings College (2-2), winning the opener 5-4 in extra innings before dropping game two 6-3. Woods made quick work of Sunday's opponent Peru State College (1-6), sweeping the Bobcats 4-0 and 2-0.
William Woods opened the scoring against Hastings, with
Taylor Hopkins making the most things after a one-out HBP. He stole second, then advanced to third on a single by
Kamron Morriss.
AJ Willenberg picked up the RBI to plate Hopkins, with a sac fly to deep left giving Hopkins time to scamper home.
Hastings tied things up in the bottom of the second and pushed across one run in the third and two in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
Hopkins got things going again in the sixth for WWU, earning a one-out walk that chased starter Hayden Zaffino from the game. Morriss drew a walk as well, with
Nolan Riechers dropping a perfect sac bunt to advance the runners into scoring position.
Seth Christie plated Hopkins and courtesy runner
Rylee Mabe with a single to center, with
Jack Niggemeier following that with a single to put runners on the corners.
The Owls weren't able to capitalize after loading the bases in the top of the sixth, but after a scoreless bottom of the inning,
Matt Hanson led off the seventh with a double to left.
Jude Gremillion came in to pinch run for Hanson, but he wasn't on the bases for long as
Jacob McWhirter doubled him home with a shot to center field. After Hopkins drew another HBP, Woods put runners in scoring position with a sac bunt by Morriss but couldn't take the lead.
After Woods held on in the bottom of the seventh to take the game to extras,
Sean Goings belted a one-out solo shot to left to give the Owls a 5-4 lead, but Hastings was able to get out of the inning with a double play.
Hastings mustered a leadoff baserunner, but
Kaleb Haley came on in relief and shut down the threat quickly, striking out Jaden Stone and forcing Jared Delgado to pop up to third to end the game.
Woods again opened the scoring in game two, pushing a run across in the top of the fourth followed by a two-run bomb by
Cade Irwin in the top of the fifth.
Hastings was able to answer in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game up, taking the lead on a three-run shot to left by Matt Lucero.
Pitching took center stage on Sunday, with game one starter for Woods Ty Shaffer striking out five and scattering two hits across five innings, and reliever
Jackson Truesdell shutting down the Bobcat threat with a strikeout and an easy pop fly to center.
Woods heads to Joplin, Mo., next weekend to take part in the NAIA Preview. The Owls take on Dakota State University and Kansas Christian College on Friday, with William Penn University and Northwestern College closing out the slate on Saturday.
