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Box Score 2 FULTON, Mo. - Despite scoring first in both games of the doubleheader, William Woods (17-24, 7-8 AMC) wasn't able to hang on for wins against Williams Baptist (29-13, 12-2 AMC), falling 3-2 and 4-2 on Friday afternoon.
The Owls escaped a first-inning threat in game one, as the Eagles managed back-to-back singles before Natalia Watkins was called out for interference as she bunted the ball into her shin with both feet out of the batter's box.
Arianna Donovan was sure-handed as she grabbed a towering infield fly for the second out and
Iliana Manzano snagged a liner for the third out.
Donovan pushed William Woods onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the second, capitalizing on a leadoff walk drawn by
Jessica Keilholz. A sac bunt by
Brooke Lopez and a grounder to third by Manzano pushed Keilholz into scoring position for Donovan, who looped a single into left field.
WBU answered with a single run in the top of the third and scratched across runs in the fourth and fifth as well to extend to a 3-1 lead.
Woods threatened in the bottom of the sixth, as
Sydney Wilbeck reached on an error by WBU's first baseman. She moved to second on a single by
Rylee Hagens, but the Owls couldn't cut the deficit.
Lopez led off the bottom of the seventh with a huge double to left center. After advancing to third on Marzano's flyout to center, she was able to scamper home on a two-out single by
Ally Mahoney, but the rally stalled out.
Keilholz opened the scoring for Woods in game two, belting a two-out triple and scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first. Lopez drew a walk but Hagens wasn't able to extend the inning.
WBU took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third and extended to a 4-1 margin in the top of the fifth.
Addie Rhea led off the sixth inning with a pinch-hit double for Woods, but unfortunately the Owls followed it with a strikeout and popup to third before a Keilholz double cut the deficit to 4-2.
Woods held WBU to a single baserunner in the top of the seventh but retired in order in the seventh.
The Owls close out the home portion of the regular season on Saturday, hosting Central Baptist College in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
