MUW’s baseball team grabbed its second straight St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over the weekend as it won a pair of high-scoring affairs against visiting Eureka College.
The Owls (19-15, 13-6) and Red Devils (8-24, 2-16) both produced 11 hits each in the first game, but an explosion of five runs in the seventh inning paved the way for the Owls to win 15-11. MUW went ahead 4-0 heading into the fourth inning, where Eureka got on the board with three runs and one more in the fifth to tie the game, but a bases-loaded walk and a two-RBI single by Matthew Windham put the Owls back on top. The two teams traded heavy blow after heavy blow down the stretch with the Red Devils standing on top 11-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Owls regained the lead with five runs and tacked on two more in the eighth for good measure. Noah Company and Dylan Smith both hit two doubles each, and Camden Smith had a two-run homer.
Hits were still plenty in the second game for both teams, but a nine-run third inning proved too much for the Owls in a 16-6 defeat. Eureka added three runs in the first inning, one in the fifth and and three in the eighth. MUW scored one run in the first, four in the fourth and one in the eighth as it was outhit, 19-16. Four different Owls had two hits each, and Colton Neal led the team with two RBI.
The Owls flipped the script in the third game and held the Red Devils to just nine hits in a 14-4 series-clinching victory. MUW, which sits at fourth in the conference standings, pulled away for a 10-2 heading into the fifth inning and tacked on two more runs in both the sixth and eighth innings as it piled up 17 hits. Windham led the charge with four hits and five RBI, and Rikard Swayze had three hits.
The Owls, who were back on the road yesterday in a doubleheader at Lyon College, host Greenville University for a series beginning with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Friday. The series wraps up at noon Saturday.
Softball
The Owls’ perfect start to conference play was dashed on Saturday by visiting Webster University in a 3-2 loss, but the team rallied and split the series in Game 2 with a 3-2 win.
In Game 1, a single by Kaylee Crawford and Brianna Byrd delivered The W (14-11, 9-1) its only two runs in the first and second innings for a brief 2-0 lead, but Gorloks (15-18, 8-2) scored on a wild pitch and single to tie the game. Webster took the lead for good in the fourth inning on a single by Isabelle Loiben. Brooklyn Rhodes took the loss for MUW in the circle. She gave up six hits, two earned runs and fanned three. Rachel Etheridge came in and closed the game, allowing four hits but no runs.
In the second game, MUW took advantage of some Gorlok mistakes to get back in the win column. The Owls erased a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning with two scores on a groundout by Gillion Eaves and a Gorlok fielding error. The team pulled away for good in the sixth inning when Kaitlyn Bearley scored during a fielder’s choice knocked into play by Etheridge.
The Owls, who are tied for first with Greenville University at the top of the SLIAC standings, have an opportunity to plant themselves solidly back as the No. 1 team in the conference this weekend when they play at Greenville in a doubleheader on Saturday.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
