HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey Baseball Team split the Saturday double header against Faulkner University, dropping game one 8-6 and taking game two 6-3 at Milton Wheeler Field.
 
The Eagles took the early lead with three runs in the first but Bailee Hendon would put Carey within one with a two run homer to left in the bottom half of the inning.  Both teams would trade runs from the fourth to six innings with Faulkner taking an 8-4 lead into the final inning of play.  The Crusaders would threaten in the bottom of the seventh but the Eagles managed to limit the damage to just two runs to hold on to the win.
 
Things were reversed in game two, as it was WCU that the early lead with three runs in the first and one in the second.  A wild pitch would plate the first run of the game with Jake Lycette driving in the second run.  The final of the first inning would come on another wild pitch with a throwing error scoring the run in the second.
 
Faulkner would get the offense going in the third with two runs and would make it 4-3 Carey with a run in the fourth.  The one run lead would hold until the sixth when another defensive miscue would score Rigoberto Hernandez with the final run of the game coming on a wild pitch in the eighth.
 
Andrew Shirah picked up the win going six innings, allowing three runs two earned on three hits with five strikeouts.  Luke Lycette earned the save allowing just one hit over three innings of work with four strikeouts.
 
The Crusaders are back in action on Sunday, as they wrap up the series against Faulkner with a single game.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Milton Wheeler Field.