Senior right fielder Nick Spagnola's two-run single in the top of the sixth inning lifted the No. 25 William Woods University Owls to a 4-2 season-opening triumph over the Bethel (Tenn.) University Wildcats on Friday afternoon.
Spagnola's one-out single to deep left scored junior left fielder Larry Price and senior center fielder Cody Stewart to give William Woods a 3-1 lead.
Sophomore second baseman Alex St. Pierre's RBI single with two outs in the seventh drove in senior shortstop Javier Ledesma with the Owls' final run.
Bethel got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, but ended the game by stranding runners at first and third.
The Wildcats opened the scoring with a run in the second. William Woods then tied the game when senior third baseman Austin Clapp singled home junior first baseman Jordan Dey in the fifth.
Spagnola finished 2-for-3 with a stolen base as the Owls finished with 10 hits. Clapp was 2-for-3 with a double and a steal, while St. Pierre was 1-for-4.
William Woods senior reliever James Ball tossed 4 1/3 innings to pick up the victory. Ball allowed an unearned run on two hits, struck out two and walked none.
Junior starter John Cavness surrendered an earned run on four hits over 4 2/3 innings for the Owls. Cavness struck out four and issued a walk.
William Woods played a doubleheader against Christian Brothers University on Saturday in Memphis, Tennessee. Results were not available at press time.