FULTON, Mo. – William Woods University (7-6) wrapped up its series with University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy(7-10) by splitting Saturday's doubleheader, taking game one 6-2 before dropping a wild 15-13 contest in game two.
Game one opened as a pitcher's duel, with neither side able to crack the scoreboard through the first two innings. The Owls broke through in the third after loading the bases for the heart of the lineup. Patient at-bats proved to be the difference, as
Carson Shettlesworth and
Colby Caton each drew RBI walks, and a passed ball allowed another run to score, giving William Woods a 3-0 advantage.
The Eutectics answered with a solo home run in the top of the fourth to trim the lead, but the Owls responded immediately. Friendly bounces and timely hitting sparked a three-run bottom half, highlighted by a
Jackson Kirn RBI single that plated
Kaden Kinsler and extended the lead to 6-1.
That cushion was more than enough for the pitching staff.
Jakob Koehn tossed 4.1 innings, working around five walks while striking out four and allowing just one run.
Chance Lehman bridged the gap before
Ayden Gates shut the door to secure the 6-2 victory and earn the save.
If game one belonged to the pitchers, game two was an offensive showcase. The Eutectics jumped on the Owls early, chasing the starter in the first inning with four runs and adding three more in the second to build a 7-1 lead. William Woods showed fight with two runs in the bottom of the second to make it 7-3, but UHSP continued to pour it on.
A six-run fifth inning pushed the Eutectics' lead to 13-3 before the Owls began to chip away.
Aidan Gaither doubled to spark a three-run response in the bottom of the fifth, with
Evan Rainey adding a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 13-6. UHSP added two more in the sixth, stretching the margin to nine.
Then came the comeback.
Ryan Retone led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, and the Owls capitalized on defensive miscues and wild pitches to ignite a seven-run rally. The inning was punctuated by a
Cam Casso single that scored Bennet Greenhagen and
Sam Russo, suddenly pulling William Woods within 15-13.
After the sixth-inning chaos, Gates returned to the mound to keep the Owls within striking distance and give the offense one final opportunity in the seventh. Despite the late surge, the comeback fell just short as the Owls dropped the nightcap 15-13.
William Woods now turns its attention to a weekend road series in Leavenworth, Kansas, against the University of Saint Mary, beginning Saturday at noon.
