After clawing all the way back from a four-run deficit, the William Woods Owls' quest for an AMC championship got sunk by a walk-off winner.
Missouri Baptist third baseman Jeff Smith's ninth-inning solo homer off Owls senior reliever James Ball lifted the No. 4 Spartans to a 6-5 triumph over No. 3 William Woods in an American Midwest Conference tournament semifinal clash on Monday at Robin Roberts Stadium.
The Owls (38-12) will now wait to see if they receive an at-large selection to the NAIA Opening Round, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 12.
The Spartans (38-11) staved off elimination with a 14-5 romp of the No. 2 Lyon (Ark.) College Scots on Monday. The two will play for the AMC tournament title today, the winner receiving the conference's automatic NAIA bid.
Senior designated hitter Dustin Kremer's two-out double plated junior left fielder Larry Price in the top of the first inning to give William Woods an early lead.
Left fielder Orlando Olivera singled in Smith, then scored on designated hitter Aaron Pangilinan's RBI single to push Missouri Baptist ahead 2-1.
Missouri Baptist stretched its lead to three runs by scoring a pair in the third, then added another run in the fourth.
Kremer doubled in senior center fielder Cody Stewart in the sixth to draw the Owls to within 5-2. Kremer smacked a two-out, two-run double in the seventh, then evened the game at 5-all on senior third baseman Austin Clapp's RBI single on the next at-bat.
Ball relieved senior Dylan Hastings in the ninth as Smith sent the fifth pitch he saw over the left field fence to end the game. Hastings struck out five and allowed a hit in four scoreless innings.
Kremer went 4-for-4 - all doubles - and scored a run, while Clapp finished 2-for-5 as William Woods got out-hit 10-9.
The Owls moved to the semifinal after outlasting the top-seeded Freed-Hardeman Lions in an 11-8 shootout in an elimination game on Saturday. William Woods never trailed after erasing a four-run deficit with a six in the bottom of the fourth.
Stewart was 3-for-5 with four RBIs, a triple and two runs scored to power the Owls' 12-hit assault. Senior right fielder Nick Spagnola was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, while Kremer was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a double and one run scored.
Junior Kyle Marburger worked 3 2/3 innings in the win. He gave up five runs - three earned - on four hits, struck out three and walked one.