Leavenworth, Kan.—

Game One:

A fast start and critical late-inning response carried the Spires to a 7-4 win over William Woods (Mo.) in the first game of Sunday's double header.

Saint Mary struck immediately in the bottom of the first. Saul Vazquez-Alvarado was hit by a pitch to open the frame, and consecutive singles from Tannen Buss and Sergio Fierro loaded the bases. Cleanup hitter Lucas Barta then delivered the first big swing of the day, driving a double that brought in two runs and sparked a quick 2-0 Spires lead.

The Owls answered in the top of the second when Brayden Groseclose connected for a solo home run to left, trimming the margin to 2-1. The Spires responded with what proved to be a pivotal three-run bottom of the second. John Caime singled and Collin Pitzer drew a walk to start the rally, and a single from Maverick Rockers set the table. Vazquez-Alvarado was hit by a pitch to force in a run, Bryce Turner reached on a run-scoring fielder's choice, and an error allowed another run to cross, pushing the lead to 5-1.

William Woods tightened the game in the fifth with its biggest inning of the day. The visitors pieced together a three-run frame, highlighted by a run-scoring triple from Jude Gremillion and a sacrifice fly from Kaden Kinsler, to cut the USM advantage to 5-4. Despite allowing 10 base runners overall, the Spires' pitching staff limited the Owls to four runs — only three of them earned — and scattered seven hits over seven innings.

Protecting a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth, the Spire offense produced critical insurance. Buss came through first with an RBI double to extend the lead to 6-4. Later in the inning, Barta continued his big day at the plate with his second double, driving in another run to make it 7-4 and give the Spires breathing room heading into the seventh.

Offensively, Saint Mary finished with 10 hits, including three from Rockers, who went 3-for-3. Buss added two hits and drove in two runs, while Barta also posted a two-hit day with two doubles and two RBIs. The Spires' lineup drew four walks and reached base twice via hit-by-pitch, converting those opportunities into six RBIs and steady pressure on the William Woods pitching staff.
 
Game Two:

The final seven innings of the weekend would tell a different tale when a seven-run sixth inning by William Woods broke open this afternoon's contest and gave the Spires a 4-17 loss.
The visiting Owls scored in six different innings and capitalized on four Saint Mary errors, turning 13 hits and steady traffic on the bases into 17 runs. William Woods led 10-2 after four innings but put the game out of reach with a seven-run outburst in the top of the sixth, highlighted by Rainey's three-RBI double.

USM fell behind early as William Woods opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. Casso doubled to left-center and later came around to score on a throwing error by the pitcher, and the Owls added another run on an RBI single from Caton following a double by Shettlesworth. In the second, Casso struck again with a two-RBI single to push the lead to 4-0.

Defensive miscues continued to hurt the Spires in the third inning. William Woods added two unearned runs as fielding errors extended the frame, allowing Desmond and Kinsler to cross the plate and make it 6-0. Saint Mary answered in the fourth, plating two runs on a string of quality at-bats from Sean Goings and Spencer Baehman to trim the deficit to 6-2, but William Woods had an answer in the top half with a four-run frame featuring a triple by Retone, a sacrifice fly from Gremillion and an RBI single by Kinsler.

The final heavy blow came in the sixth. Already leading 10-2, William Woods sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven times, taking advantage of more free base runners and a key extra-base hit from Rainey, whose double into the gap cleared the bases and stretched the margin to 17-2.

The Spires continued to compete in the bottom of the sixth, pushing across two runs. Runner Saul Vazquez-Alvarado scored on a wild pitch, and Keylan Overton added an RBI ground out to bring the score to 17-4. Saint Mary totaled seven hits on the afternoon and left nine runners on base, generating opportunities but struggling to deliver the big swing needed to keep pace with the Owls' offense.

On the mound, William Woods starter Groseclose limited the Spires' damage over 5.0 innings of work. He scattered five hits and allowed two earned runs while striking out three before turning the game over to the bullpen to cover the final frames. The Spires staff consisting of Bryce Turner, Nicholas Hotujac, Garrison Spoonts, and Holden Fields, combined for 7.0 innings and while facing a lineup that consistently applied pressure in nearly every inning.

USM will move right along with two more back-to-back games in what has been a ten-game home stretch. The Spires will host non-con Benedictine College tomorrow afternoon with first pitch at 2:00 p.m. at the USM ball field. The Ravens, out of the Heart of America conference, come into tomorrow's contest at 8-6 overall.