Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WALNUT RIDGE, Ark.- William Woods University (24-18-1, 11-6 AMC) traveled to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas this weekend for a conference series against Williams Baptist University (25-16, 7-10 AMC). This weekend is a pivotal one in the season as the Owls look to improve their conference standings going into the American Mid-west Conference Tournament in two weeks.

The Owls arms were brilliant through their 16 innings of work between the two games tallying 12ks on the day an only allowing four Eagle runners to cross the plate.
Game one was a pitching duel between Woods hurler Peyton Clampitt and Eagle ace Noah Willingham. William Woods would only score two runs in the game, but it was enough to get the best of Willingham as the Owls would win 2-1. The Owls put up one run each in the third and fourth innings.
In the third inning, Cade Irwin opened the inning with a leadoff single on a line drive to centerfield. AJ Willenberg grounded out to the second baseman, but the play was too slow developing to turn the double play so Irwin advanced to second. The next batter, Tyler Horton hit a fly ball to center field getting enough distance under it for Cade Irwin to tag up and try to advance to third base. On the throw in from the outfield, the throw was wild allowing Cade Irwin to score the first run of the game.
The next, and final, Owls run of the game came in the fourth inning off the bat of Matt Hanson. Jack Niggemeier led off the inning with a deep fly ball to right field allowing him time to advance to second base before the Williams Baptist right fielder was able to track it down. With this double, Matt Hanson would step to the plate with a runner in scoring position for the first time this game. Hanson, a graduate student from St. Charles, Mo., was thrown an 0-1 fastball that he was able to barrel into the hole between second and third allowing the speedy Jack Niggemeier to score from second base.
Just as Woods was able to scratch a run in the fourth inning, the Williams Baptist offense answered back with a run of their own. The Eagle shortstop, Jacob Watkins, lifted a ball in the air with the bases loaded to bring in the runner on third base with a sacrifice fly. With runners on the corners and one out in the inning, Peyton Clampitt was able to induce a double play on a ground ball to second baseman Tyler Horton. Horton threw the ball to the plate to cut down the runner from third, before the catcher, Kamron Morris, relayed the ball back to second base to get the hitter who tried to take an extra base on the play.
Neither team threatened to score for the rest of the game, resulting in a 2-1 Owls win in the pitching duel. Peyton Clampitt finished with a complete game, only allowing one run while striking out seven and scattering six hits in his outing.
 
Game two finished with a score of 4-3 in favor of William Woods University. This game was eerily similar to the first game as both starting pitchers threw a complete game that ended up being decided by one run.
Williams Baptist struck gold first, scoring one run in the second and third innings of the ballgame off Owl's arm Max Benton. In the second inning, Seth Jons crossed the plate after back-to-back singles followed by a fielder's choice before Benton was able to get out of the inning. The Eagles were gifted another run when Gavin Mink scored on a balk in the third inning.
William Woods finally got things going offensively in the top of the fourth inning scoring two in the top half of the frame. Seven Owls stepped to the plate in the frame, earning three singles in the inning. The first Owls run crossed the plate when Taylor Hopkins hit a ground ball to the second baseman allowing all three runners to advance a base. The second Owl's run scored on a hard ground ball hit by AJ Willenberg, tying the game at two.
Williams Baptist was able to score a third run in the early innings after Louis Febres hit a sacrifice fly to Jack Niggemeier, who narrowly missed cutting down the speedy runner from third base on his throw from the outfield.
William Woods came to the plate down by one run in the top of the fifth, when they tallied their second "two spot" of the ballgame. Freshman phenom Kaden Kinsler opened the inning with a ground ball past the outstretched glove of the Eagle third baseman. With one out, Matt Hanson was hit by a pitch placing runners on first and second base. William Woods cleanup hitter, Jacob McWhirter, laced a hard groundball through the hole on the left side of the infield, scoring Kinsler from second base. Matt Hanson would advance to third on the throw to the plate to try and get Kinsler at the plate. Kamron Morris stepped to the plate with runners on the corners and dropped down a beautiful sacrifice bunt scoring Hanson from third base.
Neither team would be able to get a runner into scoring position for the rest of the game as both pitchers seemed to have their best stuff on the bump. Eagle's arm Parker Jefferies finished with a complete game, giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out eight Owls. Max Benton finished his electric outing with five strikeouts while scattering six hits throughout his nine innings of work, giving up three runs. William Woods won the contest 4-3 to take both games from Williams Baptist on the day.
William Woods is back in action tomorrow against Williams Baptist, first pitch is scheduled for noon in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.