HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey Baseball Team picked up two walk-off wins Friday night against Middle Georgia State, taking game one 5-4 in ten innings and game two 3-2 at Milton Wheeler Field.
 
"Two big conference wins against a really good ballclub," said Head Coach Bobby Halford.  "We made some mistakes but came through when we needed it.  Shirah wasn't his best but battled and kept us in the first game. Luke Lycette was outstanding in relief, throwing five pressure packed innings. Tyler Ducksworth and Eli Collins had some timely hits in the first game also.
 
The Knights got off to a fast start, plating two runs in the first inning and adding another in the second to take an early 3-1 lead with Carey's run coming in the first on an RBI single by Tyler Ducksworth.
 
The Crusaders cut into the MGA lead with a run in the fourth on a Rigoberto Hernandez single and took the lead with two runs on wild pitches in the fifth to pull ahead 4-3. After picking up two quick outs in the seventh, a throwing error followed by a RBI single to center allowed Middle Georgia to tie the game, setting up a tense finish as both teams struggled to push across the winning run in regulation.
 
The Knights threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs but relief pitcher Luke Lycette induced a routine fly ball to center to end the threat. In the tenth, it was the Crusaders turn to threaten, putting runners on second and third with one out.
 
It looked like the Knights were going to force another inning, picking off the runner at the third for the second out but three straight walks followed to push across the game winning run.
 
Game two saw the Crusaders take the early lead with a run in the first inning. A leadoff double by Bridley Thomas and two walks loaded the bases with one out for Ducksworth who delivered with a sac fly to center field.
 
In the third inning, Carey threatened again, putting runners on second and third with two outs but only managed one run that came off a wild pitch. MGA cut the deficit in half pushing across a run in the fifth on two hits.
 
The Knights would not go quietly and after getting a runner to third with two outs they would be the ones on the receiving end of a wild pitch to tie the game. However, in the bottom half of the inning, back-to-back hit by pitches proved costly for Middle Georgia. With one out, Preston Ratliff stepped to the plate and delivered the game winning single to left to score Thomas from second base.
 
In both games, starting pitchers Andrew Shirah and Matthew Davis both finished with ten strikeouts.
 
Carey is back in action tomorrow as they wrap up the series against Middle Georgia with a single game beginning at 1:00 pm at Milton Wheeler Field.