JACKSON, Miss. – The W baseball scored five unanswered runs to notch a 5-4 non-conference victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) at Twenty Field. With the victory, the Owls improved to 2-7, while the Engineers fell to 1-3.
 
For the early portion of the neutral site contest, MUW was looking down the barrel of a possible third-straight loss, trailing New York-based RPI, 4-0, after 3 ½ innings. But The W would begin its comeback in the bottom of the sixth, finally getting on the scoreboard after back-to-back singles by Zach Johnson (3-5, 2B, run, RBI) and Landon Clark (3-3, RBI) to open the inning put runners on the corners. That brought up Baron Brack (1-4), who grounded into a double play, but allowed Johnson to trot home with the Owls' first run of the day.
 
But the real damage by MUW came via a three-run output in the home half of the seventh and all with two out.  After the first two MUW batters were retired in order, Tyler Estabrook (0-3, run, walk) reached on an error by the Engineers shortstop, opening the door for four consecutive singles by The W batters. Matthew Windham (2-4, run, walk) hit the first pitch he saw through the right side, making it first and second for catcher Avery Benson (1-4, run, 2 RBI). Benson spanked a 2-0 pitch to left that plated Estabrook and advanced Windham to third.
 
Johnson followed with a single to center that scored Windham, with Benson stopping at second. Clark, his back to wall with an 0-2 count, ripped a ball to right-center that drove in Benson to knot the game at 4-4.
 
Meanwhile, pitcher of record Josh Mackey (1-0) went out for his second inning of relief work in the eighth. Despite a pair of singles and a hit batter, Mackey and the Owls turned away the RPI threat and give MUW a chance.
 
In the bottom of the frame, The W cashed in on the opportunity. With Dutch Hamilton taking over pitching chores for RPI, Johnny Setchfield (1-4) went first ball swinging and laced a one-out single to left, and then was replaced by speedy pinch-runner Griffin Fuller. Nine-hole hitter Swayze Rikard (1-4), a freshman, punched a 2-2 pitch through the left side, first and second runners.
 
Estabrook was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with one down. Windham struck out, bringing up Benson – MUW's home run leader - as the last best chance for the Owls and with nowhere to put him. That elicited a pitching change by RPI, as Kyle Gallo took the mound to replace Hamilton.
 
With the stage set for a possible Freddie Freeman-esque moment, Benson was, instead, hit by Gallo's very first offering to force home Fuller with what would prove to be the deciding run. While not as glamorous as a longball might have been, Benson's run batted in gave the Owls a much-needed win, after Loren Cox tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.
 
The W will next play three-games at the Huntingdon Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama, this Friday through Sunday (March 7-9). The Owls will play, in order, Millsaps, Brevard College, and host Huntingdon College.