HATTIESBURG, Miss. — William Carey scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally past Blue Mountain, 12-8, on Friday at Milton Wheeler Field.
Blue Mountain took an early lead with a grand slam in the second inning, giving the Toppers a 4-0 advantage. William Carey struggled to capitalize on early opportunities but finally got on the board in the fifth. A wild pitch allowed a run, and Jayden Mark followed with an RBI single to center field. Tyler Ducksworth added an RBI on a fielder’s choice, cutting the deficit.
The Crusaders continued to chip away in the sixth, when DeeJay Booth hit a sacrifice fly to score Weston Wales, narrowing the gap to three. Blue Mountain responded with runs in both the sixth and seventh innings, extending its lead to 8-4.
In the eighth, William Carey mounted its biggest rally of the game. The Crusaders sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on eight hits. Booth started the rally with an RBI single, and Jayden Mark was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force a run in. Franklin Hernandez drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Carey within one. Tyler Ducksworth then tied the game with a single to right field. Roth John and Alan McClean delivered back-to-back RBI singles to give the Crusaders the lead. Booth added a second RBI hit in the inning, sealing the comeback.
Jimmie Johnson pitched in relief, retiring six straight batters and striking out the side in the ninth to secure the victory. William Carey now prepares for the SSAC Conference Tournament, scheduled for May 6–9 at Rockabillys Stadium in Jackson, Tennessee.
