FULTON, Mo. - In an entertaining doubleheader with stellar pitching - and excellent fielding by the Owls - William Woods University (13-14, 3-3 American Midwest Conference) split its "Think Pink" series with Williams Baptist University (18-9, 3-3) Friday at Backer Sports Complex. The Owls avenged their season-ending defeat to the Eagles last year, beating them 2-0 in Game 1 before WBU got one back as WWU fell 1-0 in an 11-inning Game 2.
"Close exciting games today," William Woods softball coach
Tracy Gastineau said. "We had two great pitching performances that allowed us the opportunity to win."
The opener featured a matchup between two of the AMC's top arms, the Owls'
Taylor Baumhoer and the Eagles' Emberlin Caldwell. William Woods freshman Baumhoer outdueled Caldwell, the reigning AMC Freshman of the Year and AMC leader in ERA heading into the contest at a 1.93 mark.
Tossing a seven-inning complete-game shutout victory, Baumhoer (7-5) gave up six hits and five walks while striking out one. Counterpart Caldwell (8-6) went all six innings and allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks as she punched out three.
The Owls played a flawless game in the field and swiped four bases compared to the Eagles' two errors and three stolen bases.
Speaking of stolen bases,
Lexi Lewis' two stolen bases both occurred in the game-deciding frame. After hitting a leadoff single and stealing second base to begin the bottom of the sixth, Lewis swiped her second bag in as many batters, taking third and not stopping there, scoring the game's first run on an overthrow to third by WBU's catcher.
Mariah Prince drove in the second run of the Owls' game-deciding sixth inning, bringing home
Brooklynn Spillman on her single to center field. In WWU's big sixth inning at the plate, it plated the two runs on four hits, one walk and an error.
Despite giving up a leadoff walk and the next Eagle reaching on a fielder's choice with no putouts made, Baumhoer got two straight outs after that, striking out one swinging and forcing a fly out to right field. WBU applied pressure, loading the bases on a single to the shortstop, but Baumhoer secured the victory herself, fielding a grounder and making the throw to first for the final out of WWU's pitcher's duel victory.
Spillman led the Owls at the plate in Game 1, going 2-3 with two singles, one run and one stolen base.
In a thrilling 11-inning Game 2 that lasted 2 hours and 26 minutes, William Woods had no runs on seven hits and committed just one error, and Williams Baptist plated one run on seven hits and two errors.
Prior to extra innings, Owls starter
Sarah Randermann was wheeling and dealing, giving up just three hits through seven innings of work, while WWU's offense had four hits. But in the four innings of free softball - the final two innings, with a coach's agreement for the international rule of beginning the frame with the last batter to be put out on second base - the Eagles had four hits, while the Owls had three.
Neither team threatened to score in the eighth inning. Then in the bottom of the ninth, the Owls loaded the bases with two outs. However, WWU grounded into a 4-3 to end the inning and send it to the 10th.
The 10th inning proved fruitless for both teams, though that changed in the 11th. Although it made two outs in its first two plate appearances, the Eagles moved their international rule runner to third base, and they plated the game-deciding run when the third hitter of the inning smacked an RBI single to third base. WBU threatened to add insurance runs, filling the pads on three straight singles, but the Eagles flew out to right field to end the frame.
Down to their final three outs with the speedy Spillman being the international rule runner on second base, the Owls fouled out to left field to begin the bottom of the 11th. Keeping it fair in left this time, WWU's
Sammy Lohnes put Spillman 60 feet from home on her single, and she advanced to second base on the throw to third. With two runners in scoring position, the Owls came very close to tying, but they lost instead as WBU recorded a double play with Spillman being called out attempting to score on a bang-bang play after
Ella Aguiar fouled out to left.
Even though she gave Woods a chance to win, Randermann (5-8), who went all 11 innings, took the loss. She gave up no earned runs, struck out a season-high 10 batters and walked two.
The Owls recorded the only two stolen bases of the contest, with Lewis and
Corynne Miller stealing one base. Lohnes was the only Owl to reach more than once, registering a team-high two hits and receiving one free pass.
William Woods returns to the diamond, hosting first-year AMC member Crowley's Ridge College (10-12, 2-4 AMC) in a Senior Day doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.
