Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FULTON, Mo. - Kaden Kinsler and
Jacob McWhirter each picked up a home run on Friday as William Woods (10-7) split a doubleheader with Culver-Stockton College (2-12) as the first part of a four-game home-and-home series between the teams. Kinsler's solo shot in the second proved the game winner for WWU in a 4-2 game one decision, but McWhirter's three-run shot wasn't enough to fuel a comeback attempt in a 6-5 game two loss.
With two out,
Matt Hanson leaned into the WWU record books in the bottom of the first, getting hit by a pitch for the 19th time this season, breaking the logjam at 18 plunks that he was already part of.
Kamron Morriss drew a walk, with
Sean Goings sending Hanson and courtesy runner
Rylee Mabe home.
Woods wasn't able to extend its lead, and Culver-Stockton managed to tie the game up in the top of the second. Jordan Scott drew a leadoff walk before
Max Benton settled in and struck Tristan Meny and Jackson Day out. Bryan Barreto launched a two-out double to score Scott. A single by Noble Oxford advanced courtesy runner Wyatt Wright to third, with a called balk by the home plate umpire tying the game up at 2-2.
Kinsler led off the bottom of the second with a blast to right center to give Woods a 3-2 lead, but neither team was able to threaten again until the bottom of the fifth.
Jack Niggemeier led off with a single in the bottom of the fifth then was the beneficiary of another balk call to move to second. With two out in the inning, Morriss hit a towering pop-up that looked routine, but Niggemeier raced around third just in case. The aggression paid off as Meny misjudged the catch allowing Niggemeier to cross home plate with Morriss safe at first.
Meny tried to atone for the mistake in the top of the seventh with a leadoff single that chased Benton from the game after 6.0 innings, but
Kaleb Haley shut down the threat, forcing a pair of pop ups before striking out Andrew Herrick.
Jaison Andujar led off the scoring for CSC in the top of the first in game two, scoring after a two-out double to left center.
Goings again plated a pair of runners in the bottom of the first for Woods, sending
Tyler Horton and Hanson home after both had reached base on a one-out walk.
Taylor Hopkins was plunked this time, but WWU wasn't able to extend its lead beyond 2-1.
The Wildcats responded with a five-spot in the top of the second, breaking the game wide open. After a Herrick single and strikeouts by Barreto and Oxford, Wright and Ryan Osso drew walks to load the bases. Kannon Kirk drove a pair of CSC runners in with a ground-rule double that wedged under the fence in right field. Scott launched a double down the right field line to score three Wildcats - including Andujar, who had walked - but was gunned down by McWhirter as he tried to stretch the double.
Having already displayed his defensive power, McWhirter showed off his offensive tools in the bottom of the fourth, booming a three-run shot into the brushlike in right center, bringing WWU within a 6-5 margin.
The Owls escaped runners in scoring position for CSC in the top of the 7th, but couldn't finish the comeback as Woods retired in order.
WWU and CSC will meet again on Saturday to close out the series, with first pitch in the doubleheader set for 1 p.m.
