COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Lady Crusaders closed out their weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic with a pair of Saturday victories over Freed-Hardeman and No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett before falling 3–1 to Coastal Georgia on Sunday afternoon.
 
William Carey 7, Freed-Hardeman 6
Freed-Hardeman struck first with a four-run opening inning, highlighted by an RBI single from R. Locke and a three-run homer off the bat of L. Brown. The Lions continued to threaten with base hits in the following frames but were unable to add to their early advantage.
 
William Carey began its comeback in the second inning, plating two runs on RBI hits from Anna Grace Shows and Liz Cross. Shows and Cross delivered again in the fourth, notching back-to-back RBI doubles to tie the game at 4–4.
 
The momentum fully shifted in the fifth. Julia Shaw opened the inning with a solo home run, and moments later Kinley Hogue added a two-run blast to give the Lady Crusaders a 7–4 lead.
 
FHU mounted one final rally in the seventh, as Locke homered to right to bring the Lions within two. However, Shaw shut the door in relief, inducing a groundout to third to secure the win.
 
William Carey 12, No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett 2
After two scoreless innings, Georgia Gwinnett struck first in the bottom of the third when M. McQuagge singled home C. Beaver for a 1–0 lead. Carey answered quickly in the fourth. Following a leadoff groundout, Sawyer drew a walk, and Harper Dupre doubled to center to put runners in scoring position. Shows continued her big day with an RBI single to left, scoring pinch runner Lily Bittle. Later in the inning, Caroline Lindsey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, driving in Dupre to give Carey a 2–1 lead.
 
The Grizzlies threatened repeatedly—stranding eight runners over the first six innings—but could not cash in another run until the seventh.
 
Meanwhile, the Lady Crusaders broke the game open in the top of the seventh. After three straight hitters reached, Sawyer launched a grand slam to center field, extending the lead to 6–1. Three batters later, Shows singled, aided by an error that scored Dupre, and Cross followed with an RBI double to make it 8–1.
 
The onslaught continued with a sacrifice fly from Brooklyn Montana, an RBI double from Albanie Fussell, and a three-run blast from Hogue. Georgia Gwinnett managed an unearned run in the bottom half, but Carey's dominant inning sealed a statement win.
 
Coastal Georgia 3, William Carey 1
Coastal Georgia jumped ahead early, scoring two runs in the first after loading the bases on two walks and a single. R. Andrews delivered a sacrifice fly for the game's first run, followed by an RBI fielder's choice from M. Southerland. The Mariners added another in the second when M. Collins lifted a solo home run to left, pushing the lead to 3–0.
 
William Carey created opportunities throughout the middle innings but stranded runners in the second, third, and fifth. The breakthrough finally came in the sixth when Cross singled, advanced on a walk and double steal, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Shaw to trim the deficit to 3–1.
 
The Lady Crusaders threatened again in the seventh, putting two runners aboard with no outs, but Coastal Georgia retired the next three batters to halt the comeback bid.
 
Carey is back in action on Friday, March 6, as they head to Gulf Shores, Ala. for the Gulf Coast Invitational. The Lady Crusaders take on Cumberlands (Ky.) at 3:45 pm.