It was an early exit for the William Woods softball team.
The Owls concluded their second berth in the previous four years to the NAIA tournament with a 4-1 loss to No. 2 Oklahoma City on Monday and an 8-4 Tuesday loss to No. 15 Eastern Oregon in the Oklahoma City bracket.
Sarah Randermann has been William Woods’ best pitcher this season and limited Oklahoma City to four runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk while striking out four in seven innings. The Stars’ Shelbey Cornelson had a better day in the circle by limiting William Woods to one run on three hits while striking out 14 in seven innings.
Kennedy Jackson and the Stars used some small ball in the first inning as Jackson bunted her way on before stealing two bases. Tiffany Paul hit a single to make it 1-0 Oklahoma City. Kaitlyn Jones put herself in scoring position in the fourth inning after stealing second base and then was driven home by Mallory McCoy to make it 2-0.
The Owls, in the meantime, had nothing going against Cornelson as the first 10 were retired with seven striking out. Mia Santos hit her third home run of the season to cut the lead in half in the fourth inning, which preceded a single by Celeste Sermeno. The next two struck out to end the frame.
Jackson, who finished with three of the Stars’ seven stolen bases, bunted her way on again in the fifth inning and eventually scored on an outfield error. Rally Radacy scored on a catcher error after she stole third to make it 4-1.
Alexis Hassler singled with one out in the seventh inning, but she was the only Owl to reach the rest of the way.
Hassler made more of an impact Tuesday in a do-or-die game for William Woods as she gave the Owls a 1-0 first-inning lead after hitting an RBI single.
Randermann started in the circle for William Woods and worked herself into a jam in the second inning. She walked the bases loaded with two outs but induced an out at second base to end the inning unscathed.
The Owls took advantage in the third inning with a three-run, two-out rally. Hassler singled in her second run before Arianna Donovan doubled home a pair for a 4-0 lead.
Madison Stateler hit a home run in the bottom half of the third inning to get the Mountaineers on the scoreboard before Hannah Tyree brought home two runs in the fourth inning with a single after they picked up a couple of pinch-hit singles in the inning.
William Woods lost the lead for good in the fifth inning after Randermann loaded the bases and gave up a two-run single to Olivia Zufelt for a 5-4 game. Hassler took over to pitch at that point but gave a couple of run-scoring hits, including a two-run, two-out single by Stateler.
Randermann was charged with seven runs on nine hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 4⅓ innings. Eastern Oregon’s Abby Giles took over for Amanda Smith in the third inning and allowed no runs on three hits and no walks in 4⅓ innings.
For the Owls’ offense, Santos, Sermeno, Hassler and Donovan each finished with two hits while the rest of the order was 0-for-16.
William Woods finishes this season with an overall record of 23-25 and an American Midwest Conference record of 9-9.