After dropping the first game, the Owls came away with a split in Monday night's American Midwest Conference doubleheader with the rival Cougars at Backer Sports Complex.
William Woods University (25-15, 13-8 AMC) owned the lead throughout the opener, before Columbia (25-10, 12-8) rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning to edge the Owls.
William Woods jumped on Columbia by putting up all three of its runs in the bottom of the first. Senior shortstop Frankie Valle led off with a triple and scored when senior left fielder Patrick Dillon followed with a single into shallow left-center.
Dillon then made it 2-0 when he came home on junior designated hitter Marquise Doherty's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Senior first baseman Tyler Cunningham scored the Owls' other run in the inning on an error.
The Cougars answered with single runs in the fourth and fifth, then used two hits and a William Woods error to pull off their comeback in the seventh.
Valle went 2-for-4 with a run scored as the Owls finished with six hits. Senior right fielder Nolan Aherin was also 2-for-4 with a double.
Junior Taran Oulton - working two innings in relief of senior starter Dany Paradis-Giroux - suffered the loss for William Woods. Oulton (6-3) surrendered two unearned runs on two hits, struck out two and walked one.
It was the Owls' turn to rally in the nightcap when they put up three runs in the bottom of the eighth to topple Columbia.
William Woods took a 1-0 lead in the second when it scored on an error. The Cougars responded with single runs in the third and sixth to take a one-run advantage.
However, senior third baseman Glen DesBouillons supplied a three-run double in the Owls' half of the sixth to give them a 4-2 edge. Columbia then pulled even with two runs in the top of the eighth.
Dillon scored on a two-out error to put William Woods in front to stay at 5-4. Junior catcher Brian Granton then stole home and Valle clinched the Owls' win by dashing home on another error.
DesBouillons was 1-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored as William Woods made the most of five hits. Doherty and Valley both went 1-for-4 with a double and scored a run.
Junior Jeremy Hidalgo threw two hitless innings in relief of freshman starter Collin Kessler to log the win for the Owls. Hidalgo (4-3) gave up two runs - one earned - and struck out four.
Junior Adam Grunden worked a perfect ninth, striking out two, to post his first save of the season.
William Woods opens an AMC home series with Park University with a single game at 4 p.m. Friday. The two teams will then play a doubleheader at noon Saturday.