SELMA, Ala. – The Owls baseball team splits the road doubleheader against USCAA sister institution Concordia College – Alabama on Saturday, March 17 at the Bolch Park in Selma, Ala. The W picked up game one 16-6 but struggled to fend off late runs to drop game two 5-4. With the two games added to the record, The Owls are 10-7 on the season.

Game One (W,16-6)

The Owls took an early lead in game one with two runs scored in the top of the first inning. Heath Ford and Damain Benefield each hit singles while Benefield collected two RBIs on runs by Ford and Eiland Cleckler.

In the second, the Owls collected a third run on a wild pitch while allowing one run in the bottom of the inning to enter the third up 3-1.

The W bats continued to connect for three large offensive innings. In the top of the third, The W scored four runs on three hits and two errors. Benefield and Prince Tolbert struck gold with a double each while Brandon Jones hit for a single. To increase the Owls lead, Noah Angles scored on a wild pitch, Jones scored on an error, and Tolbert was credited with two RBIs on his double with runs by Leroy "Trey" Petite and Lukas Murphy.

The Owls continued to work offensively with six runs scored in the fourth on seven hits and one error. Tolbert connected for his first homerun of the season to give way to three RBIs, Benefield singled for his third RBI, and Petite singled for two RBIs. In the inning, Ford, Jones, Benefield, Tolbert, Petite, and Murphy made it across home plate to give the Owls at 13-1 lead going into the bottom of the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Hornets attempted a rally with three runs but the Owls answered with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth. Jones doubled to center field to bring Angles and Johndavid Bird song home and David Standifer singled to allow Jones to score.

With 16 runs on the board, The W needed to do little offensively to secure the win. The defense did shutter briefly in the bottom of the fifth to allow Concordia to score two runs but it was not enough to prevent the inevitable Owls victory.

With an almost perfect appearance at the plate, Benefield went 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and one run and Tolbert went 2-for-4 at the plate with a homerun and a double to collect five RBIs and one run.

Other standout players were Ford who went 3-for4 with two runs and Jones who went 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs.

To improve his pitching record to 3-2, Will Peters was credited with win on the mound. The Tallassee, Ala. native pitched 5.0 innings for one strikeout, nine hits, and six earned runs. Cartez Posey entered the game in relieve to pitched 2.0 innings for four strikeouts, no hits, and no runs to close the game.

GAME TWO (L, 5-4)

The Owls started game two on top with back to back runs in the first and second innings. In the first, Trey Petite singled to left field to bring David Standifer home and in the second, Johndavid Birdsong stole home plate.

Jumping ahead of The W 3-2, Concordia gained the lead in the bottom of the third with three runs of their own.

In the top of the fourth, the Owls tied the game with one run and regained the lead in the top of the fifth with an additional run. Birdsong scored on a throwing error by the shortstop in the fourth and Standifer scored on a pass ball in the fifth.

The W carried the 4-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh but the Owls were unable to close the game with two Hornet runs in final inning for the 5-4 loss.

At the plate, Birdsong went 2-for-3 with two runs to lead his team and both Murphy and Petite collected one RBI.

Pitching 6.1 innings, Drew Williams suffered the loss on the mound with seven strikeouts, five hits against, and one earned run. He moves to 3-3 on the season.

COACH WOLF'S THOUGHTS
"[The] guys played well in the first game today. We had good pitching from Will and Cartez and 1 through 9 hit the ball well and played good defense. I am real proud of Prince for hitting the ball as well as he did today especially after being out two weeks with an ankle sprang.

"I am disappointed in the way our guys played during the second game. We didn't hit the ball like we are capable of hitting and we did not execute on defense or make the easy plays we needed to make to give us the best chance to win. Drew pitched very well but didn't have much support behind him or offensively.

"I have to give Concordia credit. They battled and showed some toughness, especially with the situation they are in."

UP NEXT

After seven games on the road, the Owls baseball team will finally return home on Tuesday, March 20 when they take on Blue Mountain College at Columbus High School Field. The first pitch for the double header is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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