JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.- William Woods (4-3) split the double header versus NCAA Division II opponent Lincoln University (1-6) wining the first game and dropping the second on a walkoff base hit.
The Owls opened the game giving up one run in the bottom of the first inning to the Blue Tiger offense. William Woods responded by putting up six runs in the top half of the second inning. Back-to-back singles by Joe Celeste and Jared Bendfeld to open the frame set the tone for the inning. Tyler Horton ROE loading the bases for left-handed slugger Cade Irwin. Before Irwin could swing the bat, a miscue by the Blue Tiger battery brought home Joe Celeste on a ball to the screen. Cade, a senior from The Colony, Texas, worked the count drawing a walk to load the bases. With the bases juices, Nolan Reichers hit a hard ground ball to the left side for a base hit bringing home the speedy Bendfeld to take the lead.
With the bases still loaded, Owls' newcomer Jackson Kirn, an East Central Community College transfer, grew The Woods' lead bringing home Horton on a base hit down the third base line. Colby Caton's sacrifice fly would grow the lead to 4-1 in favor of the Owls. William Woods would score their 6th and final run of the inning on a ball in play by Joe Celeste that scored Kirn.
Lincoln would go on to score two in the fourth and one in the sixth inning to bring the game within three runs going into the seventh. The Owls put up four runs in the top of the inning, starting with Kaden Kinsler's solo blast to the opposite field. The 4-5 combination of Joe Celeste and Jared Bendfeld knocked back-to-back doubles to follow the leadoff bomb expeditiously growing the Owls lead to 9-4. Brendan Rochelle rocketed a ball past the Blue Tiger left fielder to score Bendfeld from second. Woods scored the final run of the contest on a line out to left that scored Rochelle to cement their 11-4 win.
The second half of the double header told a much different story than the first two games of the series. In what was very much a pitching duel from start to finish William Woods would fall short 3-2 in the seventh inning.
Lincoln opened up the scoring tallying a run in the bottom of the second inning, and growing their lead to 2-1 after scoring a lone run in the fourth. The Woods responded in the top of the sixth scoring two runs in the frame. Jackson Kirn led off the inning barreling a ball over the left field wall for the Owls first run of the contest. A bases loaded double play scored the Owls second run of the inning but stifling their chance at taking the lead.
With no outs, and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Lincoln University looked to earn their first win since 2016 as this is their first year back as a program. On a 1-0 count Blue Tiger first baseman J. Little hit a fly ball down the line in right field that was ruled in play by the homeplate umpire to give Lincoln their first win in over 3,000 days.
These two teams meet again tomorrow, Feb. 9th , at noon for a single, 9-inning contest.
