LECOMPTE, La. - Playing two close, eight-inning games against a pair of ballclubs with winning records a season ago, Wililam Woods University (2-0) opened its 2025 campaign, beating Texas A&M University-San Antonio (1-1) 8-5 and host Louisiana Christian University (2-1) 3-2 on Day 1 of the Louisiana Christian Invitational Friday at Champions Sportsplex.
"Winning two extra innings ballgames is a fun way to start, but scoring seven of our 11 runs in the sixth through eighth innings made that even better," William Woods softball coach
Tracy Gastineau said. "We had two good pitching performances today to balance out our defense. I liked how our team fought today."
The Owls used plate discipline to take the lead in the first frame of extra innings against the Jaguars.
Brooklynn Spillman reached on a leadoff walk to put runners on first and second base, and then she scored the game-deciding run four batters later on
Jessica Keilholz's bases-loaded walk, which made it 6-5 WWU.
Ella Aguiar provided a pair of insurance runs for the Owls, slapping a two-RBI single up the middle.
Up 8-5, Wiliam Woods had to hold onto its lead as Texas A&M San Antonio was down to its final three outs. After she tossed the first seven innings, Gastineau trusted
Taylor Baumhoer - a two-time state champion and first-team all-state hurler at Fatima - to get through the eighth. Baumhoer delivered, forcing a leadoff pop out to the shortstop, and after allowing a single, got the Jaguars to hit into two straight infield groundouts to secure a WWU victory.
Baumhoer (1-0) made it a memorable college debut, recording a complete-game win and allowing three earned runs (two unearned)Â on eight hits, five walks and two hit-by-pitches while striking out five.
The Owls scored eight runs (two in the third, two in the sixth, one in the seventh and three in the eighth) on 10 hits, eight walks and an error. The Jaguars plated one run in the first, one in the second, two in the third and one in the sixth, and they also reached on one error.
Newcomer
Lexi Lewis guided The Woods at the plate, going 3-4 with two runs, one RBI, one walk and one stolen base. Freshman
Sammy Lohnes also had a multi-hit game in her Owls debut, notching two hits and tying Lewis for a team-high two runs. Other standouts for WWU were
Addie Rhea with a double - the Owls' lone extra-base hit on the day - Spillman with two walks, a run and a stolen base and Keilholz with two free passes, one hit and one RBI.
The Owls turned around and took on the home Wildcats under the lights to cap Friday's action.
William Woods indeed had an affinity for extra-inning games on Opening Day. After seven innings, it was tied at 2 with Louisiana Christian. To begin the first frame of extras, Keilholz was placed on second base, and after a groundout and walk, she reached home on Rhea's sacrifice fly to center field, which made it 3-2 Owls.
Unlike the first game, Wililam Woods didn't tack on more runs to its lead, so it needed a stellar final inning of work from three-time All-American Midwest Conference pitcher
Sarah Randermann. Who came up to bat first? The Wildcats' three-hole hitter, though, they didn't bother Randermann, forcing them into a 6-3 groundout. While Randermann didn't get the ball to stay on the ground either of the following two at-bats, she got the result the Owls wanted, getting the Wildcats to pop out to first-base foul territory for the second out and fly out to right field for the final out.
With that 3-2 win over Louisiana Christian, William Woods handed a pair of teams their first loss of the year. The Wildcats had played a game the day before, making that result even more impressive.
On top of that, the Owls saved some arms with two complete-game victories in as many games. Randermann (1-0) put in a senior-like outing, giving up one earned run (one unearned) on five hits and three walks while punching out seven.
William Woods registered three runs (one in the first, one in the fifth and one in the eighth) on six hits and five walks; the Owls committed two errors. Louisiana Christian scored one run in the third and sixth.
Leadoff hitter Lewis exemplified her role, swiping a college career-high four bags. It was also the second time she's stolen five bases in a day, doing it for the first time with East Central Community College last season in a doubleheader at future WWU conference opponent Culver-Stockton College on March 18. Lewis also had two hits, one run and a walk versus LCU.
Keilholz was the only Owl to have a hit, walk and RBI, tallying one each. Lohnes and Rhea also drove in a run, and Spillman joined Keilholz and Lewis with a one-run display.
William Woods wraps up play in the Louisiana Christian Invitational, taking on (RV) University of Houston-Victoria (1-1) at 10 a.m. and Texas A&M University-Texarkana (2-0) at noon on Saturday.
