The Owls opened up play in the Gulf Coast Invitational with a pair of wins on Friday afternoon. William Woods (9-1) beat Martin Methodist and Grand View College by scores of 2-1 and 9-1 respectively.
The Owls got all the offense they needed against Martin Methodist in the William Woods half of the fifth inning in game one. Senior catcher Megan Willard got broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with one of the Owls three total hits. Senior right fielder Courtney Wilkinson followed that up with a single that scored Willard.
Willard and Bowden's work was held up by freshman pitcher MacKenzie Bowden's effort on the mound. Bowden went seven innings, giving up four hits and no earned runs while striking out eight batters.
The Owls (8-1) picked up the offense immediately in game two against Grand View College, getting a three-run first inning and a four-run third inning in the 7-1 win. Freshman shortstop Lindsey LeCuru went 1-for-3 with two RBI's while senior designated player Chelsea Loethen added a hit and two RBI's of her own.
Junior Kelsey Schulte got the win for William Woods giving up no runs in four innings of work while striking out two. She also helped her own cause going 2-for-4 from the plate.
The Owls played another doubleheader on Saturday against No. 23 ranked Auburn-Montgomery and Oklahoma Christian though scores were not available.
William Woods baseball................11................8
Williams Baptist...............................1...............2
WALNUT RIDGE, Ark., - The Owls opened up American Midwest Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Williams Baptist on Friday afternoon. The win was the seventh in a row for William Woods (10-7, 2-0)
Senior Logan Lawson pitched five innings giving up one run on two hits to get the win for the Owls. Lawson improved to 2-1 on the season while striking out four batters in the first game.
The score was tied at one a piece going into the top half of the fifth before the Owls unleashed a 10-run inning to win due to a ten-run rule. Freshman catcher Derek Fletcher broke the tie with a double to deep left to drive in senior outfielder Stephen Thoenen and freshman outfielder Matt Thomas. The big pop came from junior infielder Derek McCawley's grand slam to deep left, his first home run of the season.
William Woods benefited from another big inning in game two with a four-run fourth inning to expand on a 2-1 lead. Fletcher went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI's in the win while senior outfielder L.J. Watson also went 2-for-3 with a trio of RBI's of his own.
Freshman Adam Brush pitched six innings and gave up one run on two hits and struck out six Williams Baptist batters. The two teams played another doubleheader on Saturday but scores were not made available.