NEW ORLEANS, La. – The William Carey Baseball Team completed the sweep over #16 Loyola University, defeating the Wolfpack 7-5 in game one and 18-15 in game two, Friday afternoon at Turchin Field.
After a few scoreless innings to start game one, Carey got their offense going in the fourth inning, scoring six runs on six hits. With two outs in the inning, WCU recorded six straight hits with
Caleb Laird driving in a run and
Jerod Williams scoring two on a single to right. The highlight of the inning was a three blast off the bat of
RJ Stinson.
However, Loyola would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame. Both teams would trade runs in the fifth with the Crusaders coming on a solo homerun by
Bailee Hendon. The Wolfpack would add another run the sixth but would get no closer, as
John Snyder shut down the threat to earn his 11
th save of the season.
Runs were aplenty in game two, as there were a combined 33 runs on 28 hits. Carey got on the board in the first inning with a leadoff solo homerun by Stinson but Loyola answered with five runs in the bottom of the first.
The lead would short lived though, as the Crusaders would retake the lead with eight runs in the second innings. A bases loaded walk would score the first run with wild pitch plating the second run.
Preston Ratliff would score
Ty Little on a single to left with Hendon picking up four RBIs on a grandslam to right to make it 9-5 WCU.
Carey extended on two sac flies in the third but LU would get one of those runs back in the fourth. But the Crusaders responded with three runs in the fifth on RBIs by
Jake Lycette (2) and Ratliff. The Wolfpack would not quietly though, as they managed to cut the deficit to 14-12 with six runs in the sixth inning and would get within one run with a run in the seventh.
However, the Crusaders would add a little breathing room in the eighth, as Hendon led off the inning with a homerun with Williams launching a two run shot. Lycette would make it 18-13 WCU with a single down the leftfield line to score little. LU would chip away at the lead getting a run in the eighth and ninth inning but would get no closer, as the Crusaders pitching staff shut down the threats to secure the win.
Next up for WCU is the SSAC Baseball Championship in Jackson, Tenn. beginning on Wednesday.
