WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – The Crusaders punched their ticket to the championship game of the 2026 NAIA Opening Round – Williamsburg Bracket with a dramatic 9-8 victory over Bryan (Tenn.) on Tuesday afternoon.
Bryan threatened early, as Cyrus Campos singled and moved into scoring position in the first inning, but Carey worked out of the jam to keep the Lions off the board. The Crusaders capitalized in the bottom half, loading the bases with three consecutive singles.
Hays Carley then drew a walk to force in the game's first run to give William Carey a 1-0 lead.
William Carey added to its advantage in the third inning, stringing together five hits in a key rally. Carley delivered an RBI double,
Barron Frazer followed with a run-scoring single, and
Roth John lifted a sacrifice fly as the Crusaders extended their lead to 4-0.
Bryan struggled to find its offensive rhythm early, stranding multiple baserunners through the first five innings. The Lions finally broke through in the sixth, sending 13 batters to the plate in a seven-run outburst to take a 7-4 lead.
The rally began with an RBI walk by Morgan Halliday, followed by another bases-loaded walk from Brodie Genter. A wild pitch brought home an additional run before Cade Cook tied the game with an RBI groundout. Campos then gave Bryan the lead with an RBI double, and Jayron Morris and Denajh Williams each drove in a run to cap the frame.
The Crusaders answered in the seventh when
Tyler Ducksworth launched a two-run homer to cut the deficit to one. However, Bryan added an insurance run in the eighth on Will Curcio's RBI single, extending their lead to 8-6.
Carey continued to apply pressure, trimming the margin to one in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by
Jayden Mark. In the ninth, the Crusaders mounted one final rally. Ducksworth,
Gage Hinnant, and
Alan McClean each reached to load the bases with one out before
DeeJay Booth delivered the decisive blow, a walk-off, two-run single to center field to seal the 9-8 comeback victory.
William Carey returns to action Wednesday and will face the winner of Bryan (Tenn.) and Missouri Baptist/Cumberlands. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
