BATESVILLE, Ark. – The W baseball inched closer to securing one of the top two seeds – and the subsequent opening round bye - for the upcoming St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) playoffs, thanks to its convincing sweep at Lyon College. The Owls (17-14, 13-3 SLIAC) cleaned up the Scots (18-19, 7-9 SLIAC) by scores of 10-2 and 8-1 at Fred Wann Field.
With two games left to play at home on Saturday (May 3/12 p.m.) versus Westminster College, The W can take out any tie-breaker criteria – which is often akin to deciphering the U.S. Tax Code – by just handling its own business at CCA Field. Currently, the Owls occupy second place in the SLIAC alone, one game ahead of third place Spalding, with whom they split a doubleheader. If MUW is swept by Westminster and Spalding wins twice versus Eureka, the Golden Eagles would leapfrog the Owls for the No. 2 position; if both teams split their games, then the aforementioned criteria kicks in.
For The W, the key to controlling its own destiny is to borrow from the late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis' mantra: "Just win, baby." But that could be a tall order, as Westminster not only swept a late-season doubleheader against MUW in 2024, but also knocked the Owls out of the SLIAC tourney in an elimination first round game.
Versus Lyon on Saturday, MUW looked sharp – both hitting and pitching – on both ends of the twinbill. In game one, senior right-hander
Landon Clark threw a strong 7.1 innings to improve his personal record to 6-2 on the year. Clark struck out eight Golden Eagle batters and walked just three, scattering four hits. His lone rough spot was the home half of the third where, after two outs and leading 5-0, he allowed a single, hit a batter, and gave up a two-RBI double before restoring order.
Walker Smith gave MUW 1.2 inning of scoreless relief to close out the win.
Four Owls had multiple hits, as MUW collected 10 hits in all, for its 14th game of double-digit hit totals.
Zach Johnson and
Baron Brack had identical lines of 2-for-5, with a RBI and run scored. Brack had a double.
Nos. 8 and 9 batters
Tyler Estabrook and
Swayze Rikard both went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Rikard had an RBI, as well.
In game two,
Campbell McCluney (3-1) had what may have been his strongest outing of 2025, going 7.0 innings. McCluney permitted six hits, including an RBI double in the sixth that made the score, 2-1. MUW gave their pitcher some room to work with a six-run outburst in the top of the seventh inning to make it 8-1.
Connor Reilly threw a scoreless eight and ninth, allowing just one hit, to cap the sweep for the Owls.
Seven of MUW's eight hits in the game came from the Nos. 1-4 batters.
Matthew Windham went 1-for-5 from the leadoff slot and had a double for his team's lone extra-base hit. Clark followed at 1-for-4 with 2 RBI and two runs. No. 3 batter Johnson was 3-for-5, with a run and an RBI. Catcher
Avery Benson, hitting fourth, went 2-or-4 with a run and RBI, as well.
No. 5 batter Brack was 0-for-3 in game two, but had a pair of sacrifice flies to his credit.
