The William Carey baseball team lost both games of a Saturday doubleheader against Mobile in Mobile, Alabama. The Crusaders fell 7-6 in the first game and 9-8 in 12 innings in the second.
Carey took an early lead in game one, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Gage Hinnant drew a leadoff walk, and DeeJay Booth followed with a single. An error by Mobile’s third baseman allowed Hinnant to score, and Taylor Walters added a sacrifice fly. The inning ended with a balk that scored another run, giving Carey a 3-0 lead without an extra-base hit.
Mobile responded immediately, cutting the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the first. Eli Smith and Weston Tubbs drew walks before an error and an RBI groundout from Adrian Salas. The Rams took their first lead in the third inning, with RBI walks from Damian Ortiz and Ethan Plank pushing the score to 4-3. They added to their lead in the fourth and sixth innings, with Salas driving in two runs in the sixth to make it 7-3.
Carey made a late rally, loading the bases in the seventh. Booth drew a bases-loaded walk, and Hays Carley hit a two-run single to cut the deficit to one. However, Mobile closed the game without allowing further runs, securing the 7-6 victory.
In game two, Mobile scored first. Carey’s offense came alive in the fifth inning, with Carley knocking in a run to tie the game and Walters hitting a three-run triple to give Carey a 4-1 lead. The Crusaders extended their lead to 7-1 in the sixth, with hits from Alan McClean and Hinnant and productive outs. A passed ball later in the inning added another run.
Mobile rallied in the eighth, scoring four runs to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Carey briefly regained the lead in the 10th on a balk that allowed Carley to score, but Mobile responded with a sacrifice fly to tie it again. Both teams remained scoreless through the 11th and 12th innings. Mobile ultimately won in the bottom of the 12th with a two-out rally and a defensive miscue that allowed the winning run to score.
The Crusaders are scheduled to return to action Tuesday, March 31, when they host LSU-Alexandria at Milton Wheeler Field. First pitch is set for 4 p.m., according to team officials.
