New Orleans, La. — Loyola pulled away with a mid-game surge in the opener, but the Crusaders responded emphatically in the finale, scoring eight runs in extra innings to secure a 17–10 series-clinching win.
Both teams traded runs in the second inning. Carey struck first after
Franklin Hernandez drew a walk and
Nic Arender singled to put runners at the corners. A wild pitch allowed Hernandez to score before Loyola responded when Jovan Swasey lifted a sacrifice fly to even the game at 1–1.
The Crusaders reclaimed the lead in the fourth.
Weston Wales singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch before coming home on
Gage Hinnant's RBI single up the middle.
DeeJay Booth followed with an RBI single to center to extend WCU's advantage to 3–1. Loyola answered in the bottom of the frame, as Tanner Powell's RBI groundout trimmed the margin to 3–2.
The Wolfpack took control in the fifth inning, pushing across three runs on a solo home run and RBI singles from JJ Garcia and Reed Duthu. Loyola's bullpen secured the win by holding the Carey offense hitless over the final two innings.
The final game of the series was a slugfest, featuring a combined 27 runs on 27 hits. Carey wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard in the top of the first. After
Taylor Walters reached base and moved into scoring position,
Jayden Mark lined an RBI single to center to open the scoring.
Franklin Hernandez followed with a two-run single to left, plating Mark and
Hays Carley for an early 3–0 Crusader lead.
Loyola responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning. With the bases loaded, Myles Liggans delivered a run scoring single with a throwing error allowing an additional run to score, cutting the deficit to 3–2 after one.
Carey added to its lead in the third when Hernandez struck again, singling home Mark. Walters provided more pop in the fifth, launching a solo home run to push the margin to 5–3. Loyola continued to chip away, tying the game in the fifth as Jed Cambre stole home during a double steal and Jaxon Buratt later scored on a wild pitch.
The back-and-forth affair continued into the late innings. Carey regained the lead in the sixth on RBI singles from Booth and Walters, but Loyola countered once more in the seventh and ninth. Nathan McDonald delivered the biggest swing of regulation, blasting a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
Neither team broke through in the 10th, but William Carey took control in the 11th. After back-to-back walks to open the inning, a sacrifice bunt by Carley led to a throwing error that allowed Booth to score. Another defensive miscue on the next play brought home Walters.
Hernandez delivered the knockout blow with a three-run home run to stretch the Crusaders' lead to 14–9. Carey continued to pour it on, as Hinnant drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Booth capped the outburst with a two-run homer, highlighting an eight-run inning.
Loyola threatened briefly in the bottom of the frame by scratching across one run, but reliever Hinnant shut the door with a fielder's-choice groundout to end any hope of a rally.
Carey returns to action Tuesday, April 14, as they host Talladega College for a non-conference match-up. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Milton Wheeler Field.
