HATTIESBURG, Miss. – William Carey opened conference play in dominant fashion Friday evening at Milton Wheeler Field, sweeping Abraham Baldwin in a doubleheader with wins of 7–4 and 6–4.
The Crusaders struck first, manufacturing a run in the opening inning on a
Tyler Ducksworth RBI single to left. Abraham Baldwin responded quickly, taking a brief 2–1 lead on a two-run homer down the left-field line in the top of the second.
Carey answered in the bottom half as
Alan McClean delivered a game-tying RBI single. The Crusaders then seized control for good in the third, capitalizing on a fielding error that allowed
DeeJay Booth to score. Moments later,
Cam Senior lined an RBI single, and a wild pitch extended the lead to 5–2. Carey added another run in the fifth following a throwing error.
ABAC threatened late, cutting the margin to 6–4 in the eighth on a two-run shot to center by T. Lee. But the Crusaders responded immediately in the bottom half when
Weston Wales crossed the plate on a clutch RBI single from
Gage Hinnant, restoring a three-run cushion.
Closer
Dylan Wallace handled the ninth with authority, retiring the side in order to secure the 7–4 victory.
The Stallions applied early pressure, loading the bases in the first, but Carey starter
Everett Thompson induced a key flyout to escape unscathed. ABAC broke through in the second with a sacrifice fly, then extended the lead to 2–0 in the third on a solo home run to right-center.
Carey responded in the bottom of the inning. Ducksworth ripped an RBI double to put the Crusaders on the board, and
Jayden Mark followed with a sacrifice fly to even the game at 2–2.
Abraham Baldwin, however, reclaimed momentum in the fourth pushing across one run on a throwing error and moments later C. Campbell doubled, pushing the lead to 4–2.
Both pitching staffs then settled in, trading scoreless frames through the fifth and sixth, as ABAC clung to its two-run cushion.
The decisive blow came in the seventh. Senior led off with a single, and
Franklin Hernandez worked a walk. McClean laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Booth unleashed the swing of the night — turning on the very first pitch he saw and launching a towering 411-foot missile to straightaway center, a no-doubt grand slam that sealed Carey's 6–4 walk-off win and completed the doubleheader sweep.
William Carey and Abraham Baldwin conclude the series on Saturday, February 28, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Milton Wheeler Field.
