The Owls stunned the Mustangs by rallying to score all eight of their runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to take the American Midwest Conference series Saturday at Backer Sports Complex.
William Woods University - which split Friday's doubleheader - evened its season record at 9-9 and improved to 2-7 in the AMC. Central Baptist College slipped to 19-5 overall and 6-3 in conference play.
The Owls were down 7-0 going into the bottom of the ninth Saturday and had been shut out on only three hits.
Sophomore designated hitter Isaiah Gibbs drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on junior third baseman Alex Owens' single to left. Sophomore catcher Chase Gibson followed with another single to left-center to load the bases.
Sophomore Brady Owen came in to pinch-run for Gibson and junior pinch-hitter Connor Poulson coaxed a one-out walk to force home Gibbs with William Woods' first run. Freshman center fielder Bryson Matthews was then hit by a pitch, bringing home Owens to make it 7-2.
Freshman Jack Neggemeier entered the game as a pinch-runner for Matthews and junior shortstop Jordan Smith followed with a double to deep right-center, scoring both Owen and Poulson to make it a three-run game.
Neggemeier moved to third on the play and raced home on a throwing error as the Owls closed within 7-5. Smith went to third on the miscue and then scored on junior second baseman Marcus Gonzalez's single into shallow left-center to draw William Woods within a run.
Gonzalez promptly stole second and came around to tie the game at 7-all on junior first baseman Easton Wallace's single to right-center. Wallace moved to second on the play and then was replaced by sophomore pinch-runner Alex Wimer.
After Gibbs popped out to first, Owens drew a walk. Gibson then followed with a single into shallow left-center, chasing home Wimer with the decisive run and delivering the Owls with the dramatic walk-off victory.
Smith went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored as William Woods ended up with nine hits. Owens finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Gibson was 2-for-5 with the game-winning RBI.
Freshman Levi Fortner - the last of four pitchers for the Owls - threw two-thirds of an inning to earn his first victory of the season. Fortner (1-0) struck out one and walked one.
William Woods opened its AMC series with Central Baptist by splitting Friday's doubleheader. The Owls prevailed 4-1 in the first game for their first conference win, but bowed in the nightcap 5-4 when the Mustangs rallied for three runs in the ninth.
Central Baptist put up a run in the first to go in front in the opener, but William Woods countered by tallying two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth to take control.
Smith was 3-for-4 and drove in all four of the Owls' runs with a two-run home run in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth. Smith scored one run as William Woods finished with seven hits.
Senior starter Tristan Steffens - a Fulton graduate - went 5 1/3 innings to collect the victory for the Owls. Steffens (4-2) gave up an earned run on only five hits and struck out four.
Senior reliever Davin Marcomb tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings and struck out one to post his fifth save of the season.
William Woods trailed 2-0 in the second game when it rallied for four runs - aided by three Central Baptist errors - in the eighth.
The Mustangs, though, spoiled the Owls' comeback with a rally of their own in the ninth.
Gonzalez went 1-for-4 with an RBI as William Woods was limited to four hits.
Marcomb was pinned with the loss after surrendering three unearned runs in the ninth as the Owls committed two errors. Marcomb (0-1) gave up two hits and walked one in two-thirds of an inning in relief of junior starter Logan Bexten.
William Woods continues its homestand with an AMC doubleheader against Park University at 1 p.m. Tuesday.