COLUMBIA - Brittany Roady pitched a four-hitter and Emma Walker had an RBI triple Thursday, as the William Woods Lady Owls won 1-0 against the Williams Baptist (Ark.) Lady Eagles in pool play of the American Midwest Conference Tournament at Antimi Softball Complex.
With the win, seventh-seeded William Woods improves to 22-23 and is one win away from the tournament's championship series.
Walker's triple came with one out in the top of the third inning against sixth-seeded Williams Baptist. Ari Arnold singled to right field and scored on Walker's hit to the right-center gap.
Those were two of William Woods' five hits in the game. Bri Devellano reached on an infield single in the second inning, then singled up the middle in the fourth.
Arnold also had a two-hit game for the Lady Owls, reaching on a single in the fifth.
Roady struck out one and walked four batters in a shutout effort. She had to work out of multiple jams to keep Williams Baptist off the scoreboard.
In the fourth, the Lady Eagles had a leadoff double and put the tying run on third base with one out. Roady snagged a line drive for the second out and got a foulout to end the threat.
Roady escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, allowing two singles and an intentional walk. However, she got a groundout to second base to end the inning.
Williams Baptist went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
In an elimination game Thursday, Williams Baptist (21-22) defeated third-seeded Lindenwood-Belleville 5-0 to get a rematch against William Woods.
The pool play championship game between the Lady Owls and the Lady Eagles will start at 11 a.m. today. If Williams Baptist wins, an "if necessary" game will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.