Sixth-Inning Slams Salvage Wildcats’ Saturday Split with Owls

BALDWIN CITY - Splitting up what was supposed to be a four-game road series due to weather, Baker baseball came away with a wash against William Woods in Saturday's doubleheader on Sauder Field.

After having to watch the Owls walk off the series opener on their home field, the Wildcats responded with a 9-2 victory in the nightcap, where BU smacked a pair of grand slams in the same inning to earn its 19th win of the season.

In the first game of the day, each side hit an early solo home run and rode the arms of their starters in what was a 1-1 pitchers' duel for most of the game.

With Baker sitting on the top side of the scoreboard, Camden Karlin launched his sixth homer of the spring with a solo shot over the left-field fence to spot himself and the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Karlin's first-inning dinger was the only life provided from the BU offense as the Wildcats were stymied by Owls starter Gavin Allen, who gave up only two hits in his complete game outing.

William Woods used a solo home run of its own to tie things up in the bottom of the second, sending the game to a 1-1 deadlock until the Owls' game-winner in the seventh.

Baker had its chances throughout the game, drawing five walks against Allen and putting runners in scoring position in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Karlin led off the fourth with the walk and pinch-runner Cameron Selbach stole second before being stranded at third.

Karlin and Jackson Truman each earned a free pass for the second straight time in the sixth and Jon Jenkins drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Allen was able to get a flyout to center to escape the jam.

Pinch-hitter Blaker Reeder reached on a two-out walk in the top of the seventh, looking to spark something for BU, but once again Allen induced a pop fly to set the stage for WWU's bottom-half.

William Woods opened the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff hit and then, after Karlin's fifth strikeout, connected on back-to-back singles to bring the winning run across.

Despite a combined three-run bluff in the first inning, the offense for both sides would continue to remain quiet in game two until the Wildcats exploded for an eight-run sixth, highlighted by the two grand slams.

Tyson Kiser led off the game with a walk and came home to score the first run on an RBI groundout from Truman to start BU off with a 1-0 lead for the second straight game.

The Owls registered back-to-back RBI doubles in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead and carried the one-run advantage for most of the contest.

BU's game two starter Tyler Vigna settled in after the first inning and allowed just one hit the rest of the way, finishing with seven strikeouts in his five innings of work.

Trailing by one going into the inning, Truman and Walker each unloaded a grand slam to catapult the Wildcats in front and swing the momentum entirely over to their dugout. Walker led off the frame with a double and came home on Truman's grand slam before making the most of his second at-bat of the inning with BU's second grand slam of the sixth.

Anthony Sillas followed up the Wildcats' long top of the sixth by pitching a 1-2-3 bottom-half and senior Gage Callaghan made quick work of the three batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh to cap the 9-2 victory for BU.

The grand slams were the first of the year for any Wildcats hitters coming into the game as Truman notched his fifth homer of the spring, while Walker's was his second.

Up next, the two teams will close out the four-game series on Tuesday, April 6, as Baker makes the road trip out to Fulton, Mo. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

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