HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey Baseball Team wrapped up their three-game series against Pikeville, taking the first game of the double header 8-3 but dropped the second game 6-3 Saturday afternoon at Milton Wheeler Field.
 
I thought we played well at times today," said Head Coach Bobby Halford. "We had that one bad inning in the second game that was our undoing. I was really pleased with Davis and the outing he had after being out all last year with Tommy John surgery. McCord was good until he lost it after getting two quick outs. I was a little disappointed in our approaches at the plate in the second game."
 
The Bears took the early lead on an RBI single by Garren Gledhill in the second inning. The lead was short lived, as Preston Ratliff tied the game in the third inning with a single to left with a bases loaded walk by Brady Logan putting Carey in front.
 
The Crusaders added a run in the fourth on a sac fly by Jayden Mark and in the fifth took a commanding 8-1 lead. Logan started the scoring, with an RBI single to right with Josh Alexander scoring Ty Little.
 
Bridley Thomas followed Alexander with a single to center to make it 6-1 WCU. A hit by pitch with the bases loaded drove in the fourth run of the inning with Jerod Williams capping the scoring with a sacrifice fly. Pikeville managed to push across two runs in the sixth but that would be as close as they would get, as relief pitcher Lane Larreau worked a clean seventh to seal the victory.
 
Matthew Davis picked up the win on the mound allowing three runs on five hits while striking out eight.
 
Game two started like the first with both teams trading runs. This time though it was the Crusaders that struck first on a Ratliff RBI single in the first inning with the Bears picking up their run in the second inning.
 
Just like the first two games, one inning decided the outcome but this time it was Pikeville that dealt the deciding blow with a five run fifth inning. After getting two quick outs, starting pitcher Josh MacCord issued three straight free passes that would come back to haunt him in the form of bases clearing triple by Austin Gurney. Gurney would come around to score on a Noah Brooks single with the final run of the frame coming on a wild pitch.
 
The Crusaders threatened in the seventh, as Tyler Ducksworth started the scoring by driving a ball to the wall in right centerfield, scoring Braydon Coffey from first base with Williams following with a single to right to make it 6-3. However, with two outs and runners on second and third, relief pitcher Caleb Morrison worked out of the jam, inducing a harmless pop up to third base. Pikeville held on for the win, limiting Carey just one hit over the final two innings.
 
WCU is back in action February 6-8, as they take on Missouri Baptist and Campbellsville (Ky.). Play is set to begin against Missouri Baptist at 4:00 pm.