WALNUT RIDGE, Ark.- William Woods (6-6, 0-2 AMC) opened their 2025 AMC campaign a little earlier than usual this year as they traveled to Williams Baptist University (9-1, 2-0 AMC) for their first conference matchup of the year. The Woods dropped both games in the double header and look to bounce back tomorrow.
"Offensively, we struggled getting anything going." remarked head coach John Cavness, "Parker [Jefferies] and Nash [Koczka] gave Williams Baptist the length to beat us. I though we pitched the ball well today, but not well enough to come on the winning end of the day."
The Woods tallied the first run of the day in the top of the first inning when senior outfielder Nolan Reichers laced a single into the outfield to bring home Kaden Kinsler. This would be the Owls only run of the game as the Eagles' ace scattered three hits throughout his complete game work. Williams Baptist took the lead in the fourth inning, never relinquishing it for the remainder of the contest. William Woods finished the game on the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline, despite only giving up one earned run in the contest.
Game two of the doubleheaders saw a little more action on the scoreboard for both teams. Williams Baptist jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning when the Eagle shortstop belted a two-run blast over the wall in left field. The Woods responded with a lone run in the top of the fourth inning as Ben Kern, a pinch runner for first baseman Brendan Rochelle, scored on a wild pitch in the frame.
The Owls gave up two more runs in the bottom of the frame to grow the Williams Baptist lead to 4-1. Down three runs in the final two innings of the seven-inning contest, the Owls had to get to work. With one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, catcher Noah Shepherd hit lift off as he belted his first homerun of the season to draw the game closer at 4-2 in favor of the Eagles.
Kaden Kinsler led off the top of the seventh inning with a walk. Following the lead-off walk, Jacob McWhirter hit a liner past the outstretched glove of the WBU shortstop for a single. A couple batters later, pinch hitter Colby Caton hit a sacrifice fly into deep right field to score Kinsler from third setting the score at 4-3 with the tying run advancing to third base on the throw. The runner, Vincent Pyeatt, was stranded at third base to end the game in a 4-3 score.
William Woods is back in action tomorrow in Walnut Ridge as they look to bounce back, and even up their AMC record, versus Williams Baptist. Stay tuned to wwuowls.com for the latest information on WWU Baseball.
