CLAYTON, Mo. - The W baseball got its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) slate of games off on the right foot with a record-setting sweep of Fontbonne University, 10-6 and 33-17. The Owls improved to 5-9 (2-0 SLIAC), while the Griffins slipped to 1-12 (0-2 SLIAC).
In the first game of the day, MUW found itself trailing the host Griffins, 3-0, after two complete innings. But in the top of the fourth, the Owls evened matters, albeit with the help of Fontbonne miscues, with three unearned runs.
Zach Johnson (2-5) plated
Avery Benson (2-5) on a fielder's choice, followed by a two-run double later in the frame by
Tyler Estabrook (3-4, 3 RBI) to knot it at 3-3.
After the Griffins retook the upper hand in the home half of the fifth, MUW added two more unearned runs in the top of the seventh.
Landon Clark (1-4) scored on a fielding error and then an RBI single plated
Matthew Windham (1-4, 3 RBI) to give the Owls a 5-4 lead. That advantage was short-lived, as Fontbonne scored twice in their half of the seventh to go ahead, 6-5.
But in the top of the eighth, The W would mount a five-run rally that decided the game.
Baron Brack (2-5) led off with a single to center and was sacrificed to second. Pinch-hitter
Loren Cox (1-1) singled to center to put runners on the corners with one down. That brought up Estabrook, who promptly singled to score Brack and advance Cox to second, knotting the game at 6-6.
A walk to Clark loaded the bases for Windham. Windham crushed a base-clearing double to left-center field for what would prove to be the game-winning RBI. With two out, Benson doubled to center, scoring Windham with an insurance run, 10-6.
While not a save situation,
Connor Reilly was stellar the final two frames to preserve the win. Reilly gave the Owls 2.0 innings of no-hit, no-run work, striking out two Griffins along the way.
Reliever
Campbell McCluney (1-0) – who came on for starter
Robby Canten in the fifth – was the benefactor of the Owls' big top of the eighth to get the win with his 2.2 innings of work (three hits and two earned runs allowed).
Canten went 4.1 innings, gave up seven hits and four runs (three earned), striking out six Griffins.
Game two was a "to heck with earned run averages" result for both teams, but resulted an unbelievable comeback for the Owls.
Some of the downright gaudy combined numbers included 50 runs (49 earned), 53 hits, 34 extra-base hits (13 doubles, 1 triple, and 10 home runs), 16 walks, and 17 strikeouts. 10 total pitchers were used (six by the Griffins and four by the Owls). The game's duration was 4 hours and 16 minutes.
MUW found itself trailing by 10 runs – 14-4 – after just five innings of play, staring down the possibility of being run ruled. The W got off the deck with what was arguably the most amazing finish in program history. In the top of the sixth, the Owls tallied four, only to have Fontbonne post three in its at-bats that inning to make the score 17-8.
In the seventh, the visiting Owls scored four and followed that with a five spot in the eighth, to tie the game at 17-17 heading into the ninth inning (or what likely looked more like a fourth quarter SEC football update).
And the top of the ninth did nothing to change that gridiron comparison, with The W's first five batters reaching safely and amassing 12 hits, in all. Designated hitter (and starting pitcher)
Loren Cox's RBI single drove in what proved to be the winning run. When the dust of the ninth had settled, MUW had crossed the plate 16 times and reached the 33-17 final tally.
Will Carter (1-2) got his first win for The W as the pitcher of record, retiring the last batter in the eighth.
Ryan Etheridge threw a scoreless ninth to close the game.
The Owls assault was led by Johnson, who went 5-for-8, with three doubles and a home run. He produced six RBI and walked once.
Brack also had five hits (5-6), with three doubles, a triple, four runs, and five RBI. Clark, Windham, Benson, and Cox all went 4-for-7. Clark matched Johnson with six RBI, while Benson slapped four singles. In all, nine MUW players had multi-hit games.
The Owls set eight team single game records, including: Most At-Bats (58), Most Runs (33), Most Hits (35, which was also a SLIAC single game record), Most Runs Batted In (32), Most Singles (20), Most Doubles (11), Most Runs in an Inning (16), and Most Hits in an Inning (12).
Individually, seven single game marks were tied, including most hits (5), by Johnson and Brack. Johnson also set a new record for most at-bats in a game, with eight. Johnson and Brack tied a game record by each slapping three doubles.
The W will make its 2025 home debut on Tuesday (March 25/1 p.m.), with a SLIAC doubleheader at CCA Field.
