HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Lady Crusaders ended their regular season with a pair of wins at home to Faulkner on Senior Day.
 
The Lady Eagles came out the gates hot to start the game. A single from Chloe Davidson opened the game before a sac bunt moved her to second. Madelyn Becker then got herself a single that saw Davidson get home to put Faulkner up 1-0. Gracie Pittman then drew a walk to get two on base but Reanna Nieman drew a fly ball to center field to limit the damage. Early promise from Faulkner's offense quickly subsided as Nieman ensured this would be their only run, and their only hits, until the 6^th inning.
 
Carey answered instantly in the bottom of the first. Back-to-back singles from Liz Cross and Lilli Robertson got runners on base before a ground out to short stop allowed the two to get in scoring position. Albanie Fussel then struck the third single of the inning to allow Cross over home plate to tie the game at one in the bottom of the first.
 
Much like the first inning back-to-back singles in the bottom of the second, this time from Madison Gray and Kinley Hogue, allowed runners to get on first and second. Robertson's second single in as many innings then allowed Gray to cross home plate to put Carey ahead. An attempt to get Gray out at home allowed Robertson and Hogue to advance to second and third respectively. Laila Clark then got herself in on the action with a single to center field, allowing Hogue to score. Unfortunately for Clark, after the Faulkner defense tried to get Hogue out at home plate, Clark tried to make her way to second but was thrown out.
 
A scoreless inning and a half later and Carey found an insurance run. Ryanne Hornsby singled to right-center field to start the inning followed by a sac bunt to put her on second. Cross got herself another hit and another RBI as her single to right field was enough to get Hornsby home and put the Lady Crusaders up 4-1.
 
The remainder of the game saw Faulkner pick up a sole consolation run in the top of the 6^th in identical fashion to their run in the first. Davidson single -> sac bunt -> Beckers single, Davidson scores. Pittman then got on first again, this time courtesy of a hit-by-pitch, to put two runners on base. Nieman again was able to get out of the trouble, only giving up one run, before inducing three fly balls in the top of the 7^th to ensure the Crusaders ran out 4-2 winners after game 1.
 
Game 2 saw Carey take first blood this time with two runs in the bottom of the first. Back-to-back walks for Cross and Robertson got Carey's opening duo on base. A single from Clark gave Cross the opportunity to get home but unfortunately was tagged out by Faulkner catcher Kensley Wesley. Carey continued the offensive pressure, as a Fussel single and a sac fly from Julia Shaw allowed Robertson & Clark to get home to give the Lady Crusaders an early 2-0 lead.
 
Hornsby and Hailey O'Brien bent but didn't break, as they gave up hits but no runs to keep the game at 2-0 entering the 5^th inning. Faulkner then went on the offensive and tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the 5^th. Singles from Allie Wismer and Davidson put runners on the corners before an Anna Catherine Segrest bunt and a defensive error allowed Wismer to score. Addyson Jarman hit a sac fly to left field to get Davidson, the tying run, across home plate.
 
Harper Dupre opened the bottom of the 6^th with a walk before a sac bunt and a Gray single put runners on the corners. An errant throw then allowed Dupre to score, as Faulkner attempted to pick off Gray stealing second base.
 
Faulkner would not go quietly, as they tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the 7^th. A Davidson double opened the inning to give the Lady Eagles hope. A sac bunt and a single from Jarman gave Faulkner the tying run but could not find the go ahead run, meaning the Lady Crusaders just needed one run in the final half inning of the game to seal victory and the sweep.
 
Robertson opened the inning with a single through the right-hand side to get Carey off to a great start. However, back-to-back ground outs looked like Faulkner were going to force extra innings but the outs got Robertson to third base to keep the Lady Crusaders hopeful. Shaw thwarted any notions of extra innings, as her single to left field got Robertson across home plate and sent Carey into the post season with a sweep on the final day of the regular season on Senior Day.
 
"Two huge wins for the team!" said Coach Craig Fletcher after the game. "It is a great way to end the regular season and build momentum for the conference tournament next week. Proud of our girls"
 
Carey now heads into post season play, as they travel to Decatur, Ala. for the SSAC Conference Tournament. The Lady Crusaders enter the tournament as the 3^rd seed and will get their journey underway Thursday, May 1^st at 12 PM as they take on six seed Faulkner University.