HATTIESBURG, Miss. – No. 10 William Carey dropped their opening game of the NAIA Baseball Opening Round, falling to IU-Southeast 10-6 Monday night at Milton Wheeler Field.
 
Carey scratched across the first run of the game in the first inning. DeeJay Booth was the first to reach base in the inning on a one out single up the middle. Josh Alexander followed, driving a ball to the wall in right field, scoring Booth.
 
The Grenadiers countered in the top of the second with five runs in five hits. Two singles and hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out for IU-Southeast. A three run double by Nolan Bowser and one run double by Logan Beard followed to make it 4-1. A two out single to left by Preston Shelton capped the scoring in the inning.
 
Carey struck back in the bottom half of the frame with four runs to tie the game. A one out single by Tyler Ducksworth followed by back-to-back errors loaded the bases for the Crusaders. Rigoberto Hernandez was the first to capitalize on the defensive miscues, delivering a two RBI double to right field.
 
After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Alexander came through, adding to his RBI total as he ripped a triple down the right field line to drive in the final two runs of the frame. The game would not be tied long though, as IU-Southeast picked up two runs in the top of the third on a two out single by Bowser.
 
The offensive show by both teams slowed over the next two innings, but in the sixth inning, the Grenadiers added three runs on four hits to take a 10-5 lead. Jayden Mark got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the sixth with a solo shot to left field. That would be as close as Carey would get though, as they were held to just one hit over the final three innings.
 
With the loss, the Crusaders fall into the loser's bracket where they will take on Oklahoma Wesleyan in a win or go home game at 2:00 pm at Milton Wheeler Field.