HATTIESBURG, Miss. — William Carey University split a doubleheader on Friday at Milton Wheeler Field. The Crusaders defeated IU–Kokomo 7–4 in the opener before losing to Missouri Baptist 9–6 in the nightcap, according to school officials.
In the first game, Carey took an early lead, loading the bases with no outs in the first inning. Jayden Mark hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run, but the inning ended with a double play. IU–Kokomo responded in the second, taking a 2–1 lead after a walk, hit-by-pitch, and two RBI groundouts.
Carey scored twice in the fourth inning, aided by hits from Gage Hinnant and DeeJay Booth. Mark tied the game with an infield single, and a two-run triple by Booth gave Carey a 5–3 lead. The Crusaders added an insurance run with a solo home run by Mark in the sixth. Carey’s pitching staff held the Cougars to one unearned run in the game, with Caleb Ougel striking out six over three innings to earn the win.
The second game saw Missouri Baptist jump to an early 3–0 lead, driven by RBI singles and a double from Angelo Franco. Carey scored once in the first and tied the game with a grand slam by Taylor Walters in the fifth inning. However, the Spartans regained control, scoring three more runs, including an unearned run in the fifth and two in the sixth, to secure the win.
Carey is scheduled to face IU–Kokomo again Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Milton Wheeler Field, according to school officials.
