BATESVILLE, Ark. – The W baseball reached the 20-victory plateau for the third-consecutive season, after splitting a doubleheader with Lyon College, the current second-place team in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) on the road. The Owls (20-16, 14-8 SLIAC) lost game one to the Scots (23-9, 14-4 SLIAC), 18-7 in seven innings, and bounced back to take the second game, 9-6, at Fred Wann Field.
 
LC did win the series between the two teams, having also won a 5-4 decision back on March 24, also in Batesville.
 
With three SLIAC games remaining (a home series with Greenville University this weekend at CCA Field), MUW has mathematically locked down its third-consecutive berth in the SLIAC post-season tournament, in as many years as a part of the league. Currently sitting in fourth place in the SLIAC, the Owls' exact seed will depend on the outcome of the Greenville series, as well as the results from around the conference during the final week of the regular season.
 
The first game of the twinbill versus Lyon was never much in doubt. After MUW took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, thanks to an RBI single from Zach Johnson, a sacrifice fly by Baron Brack and an unearned run on a fielding error – the Scots would storm back with five in their half of the first, another six in the second, and a single run in the third to lead 12-4 through three complete.
 
The Owls were outhit, 16-6, with no players collecting more than on knock. Designated hitter Chase Marshall went 1-for-4, clubbing his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot in the third. Elliott Turbyfill (1-1) came off the bench and had a two-run single in the sixth.
 
All four MUW pitchers in the game were saddled with runs allowed. Starter Chris Ellis (2-2) took the loss.
 
Game two saw The W bats come to life, especially in the middle of the order. Brack, batting fourth, went 3-for-5, with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI. Five-hole hitter Marshall was on base in all six plate appearances, going 3-for-3 – including a pair of doubles - with three walks, two runs and one RBI. Turbyfill, batting sixth, was 1-for-4 with a walk, giving the trio seven of their team's 16 hits.
 
But the biggest blow of the day was struck by game two DH Hastings Gibson, batting seventh in the order. Gibson had a third-inning grand slam that broke open a 1-1 game and put MUW ahead for good, 5-1.
 
Swayze Rikard was 2-or-4 as the only other Owls with a multi-hit effort.
 
The W's second pitcher of the game, Connor Reilly, threw 3.0 innings of two-hit relief, as he improve to 2-0 on the season. Reilly permitted just one unearned run, while striking out two Scots and walking none.