GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Lady Crusaders opened play at the Gulf Coast Invitational in impressive fashion Friday afternoon, shutting out No. 13 University of the Cumberlands, 3–0, at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
 
After a quiet first inning for both teams, William Carey broke through in the top of the second. Julia Shaw reached after being hit by a pitch, and with two outs, Harper Dupre came through with a clutch RBI single to bring Shaw home and give Carey the early 1–0 advantage. Pitcher Jayden Sawyer then set the tone defensively, striking out the side in the bottom half of the inning.
 
The Crusaders threatened again in the third and fourth innings but were unable to add to their lead. Still, standout defensive play and Sawyer's dominant performance in the circle kept the Patriots without a baserunner and firmly on their heels.
 
Carey found insurance in the fifth. Liz Cross ripped a double to left center, and Brooklynn Montana immediately followed with an RBI double of her own to extend the lead to 2–0. Two batters later, Albanie Fussell delivered a run-scoring single that plated Montana and pushed the advantage to 3–0.
 
Sawyer and the Carey defense continued their mastery, holding Cumberlands hitless through six innings and allowing just one baserunner during that span. The Patriots finally collected their first hit in the seventh on a single by Grace Ross, but Sawyer quickly slammed the door shut. Her final strikeout ended the threat and sealed the shutout victory.
 
William Carey returns to action on Saturday in Gulf Shores, Ala. taking on No. 9 Our Lady of the Lake at 3:45 p.m., followed by a matchup with Bethel (Tenn.) at 6:00 p.m., both at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.