By John Roushkolb, William Woods Sports Information

FULTON, Mo. -- A pair of outstanding pitching performances powered the William Woods (Mo.) softball team to a sweep of Benedictine University-Springfield (Ill.) on Wednesday. MacKenzie Bowden (Hartsburg, Mo.) tossed her second no-hitter in as many conference starts as the Owls downed the Bulldogs 2-0, with Kelsey Schulte (Honey Creek, Mo.) upping the ante with a perfect game in WWU's 10-0 five-inning win in the nightcap. Schulte needed just 50 pitches to retire 15 Bulldog batters on the afternoon.

The opening game saw a defensive battle through the first four-and-a-half innings, as WWU shook off a threat in the top of the first - stranding two Bulldogs - and saw Bowden work her way out of a jam after allowing a one-out walk in the top of the second by striking out both batters.

Neither team was able to get a baserunner in the third or fourth inning and WWU retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the fifth.

Caroline Sicht (Columbia, Mo.) opened up the inning with a looping double down the right field line, with Megan Cooper (St. Louis, Mo.) pinch running for her. After a pair of Owls retired, Lauren Lopes (Lompoc, Calif.) doubled to shallow left field to score Cooper, with Kristy Pluchinski (Wright City, Mo.) driving Lopes in with a single over the top.

Bowden and the Owls mowed through the Bulldogs in the sixth and seventh innings, retiring the side in order in both innings to pick up the win.

The Owls scored in all of the odd innings in the nightcap, opening the game with a singleton in the top of the first as Schulte cracked a two-out double to right center before getting driven across courtesy of a single from Sicht.

WWU threatened in the second, as Macy Wierschem (Waterloo, Ill.) belted a one-out triple, but the Owls couldn't push another run across.

Another triple - this one a leadoff triple from Lindsey LeCuru (Jefferson City, Mo.) - helped the Owls blow open the game, as the hosts pushed across eight runs - seven earned - in the top of the third. LeCuru scored twice in the inning for WWU, cracking a double in her second plate appearance to go with her leadoff triple.

The Owls added another run in the top of the fifth, chasing Bulldog starter Stephanie Angelo from the game, with the Owls closing out the game in the bottom of the inning with two popouts sandwiching a grounder to the pitcher's circle.

William Woods moves to 18-11 on the year and remains in first place in the AMC with a perfect 4-0 record. Benedictine-Springfield falls to 4-15-1 on the year, and 3-3 in conference action, as Angelo and Kayla McDonald took the losses for the Bulldogs. The Owls hit the road for a six-game AMC road swing, with Williams Baptist College first up. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.