NEW ORLEANS — Carey edged No. 14 Loyola 4-3 Friday night at Segnette Field, thanks to a strong pitching performance from Matthew Davis. The Crusaders took an early lead and maintained it through most of the game.
Carey scored twice in the first inning. Taylor Walters was hit by a pitch, and Hays Carley followed with a single to put runners on. Jayden Mark then hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Walters. Franklin Hernandez later reached on a fielder’s choice, allowing Carley to score and give the Crusaders a 2-0 lead.
The Crusaders added to their lead in the third inning. Nic Arender singled with two outs and drove in Walters to make it 3-0. Loyola responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring once to cut the deficit to two.
In the fourth, Carey extended its lead. Gage Hinnant reached on an error and advanced to third. DeeJay Booth then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing Hinnant home and making it 4-1.
Loyola threatened in the fifth, scoring twice on a single by Jed Cambre and a Carey error during a sacrifice bunt. The Wolfpack loaded the bases but Davis struck out two batters and induced a flyout to escape further damage.
Davis finished with 8 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out 13. He limited Loyola to just three hits over the final four innings to secure the victory.
Carey is scheduled to finish the series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 2 p.m.
