Offense Powers Crusaders to Sweep Over Mobile

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – No. 8 William Carey completed the sweep over Mobile, taking both games of the Saturday doubleheader at Milton Wheeler Field.

 "We kind of followed the same script in the first game where we spotted Mobile four in the first and Rigoberto Hernandez got us back in it with a three-run triple," said Head Coach Bobby Halford. "After that we went ahead and let them get back in it, but Luke Lycette came on and throttled them pitching out of a bases loaded jam with our offense kicking into gear."

In similar fashion to the start of the Friday night game, UM took the early lead with a run in the first inning and three runs in the second inning. After two quick outs to start the bottom of the second, Jayden Mark and Cam Trosclair kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles with a walk loading the bases.

 Rigoberto Hernandez then stepped to the plate and delivered a bases clearing triple to left center to put WCU within one run and would come in to score on a DeeJay Booth single up the middle to tie the game.

 The Rams retook the lead with a run in the fourth, but in the bottom half of the inning, an RBI groundout by Hernandez and a wild pitch put the Crusaders in front 6-5. Mobile got one run back in the fifth but again Carey answered with eight runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning.

 Mark started the scoring in the inning, driving in Preston Ratliff and Josh Alexander on a single to left center. Trosclair followed with an RBI single to left to make it 9-6 and later in the inning a bases-loaded walk made it a five-run advantage. Josh Alexander capped the scoring with a grand slam to left.

The Crusaders put the game away in the sixth, again scoring eight runs on four hits. After loading the bases, a hit by pitch and a walk pushed the first two runs across with Hernandez adding two more RBI to his total with a single to right center.

 Another bases loaded walk made it 19-6 with Braydon Coffey driving in a run on a single to left. The final runs of the game came off the bat of Eli Collins, as he drove in Coffey and Alexander with a single to center.

Luke Lycette earned the win in relief going 2.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits.

"Second game we jumped out early and continued the offensive assault," said Halford. Preston Ratliff did an outstanding job on the mound throwing a complete game one hitter for his second impressive start."

 The final game of the series saw the Crusaders jump out to the early lead this time with back-to-back six run innings.

 Ratliff started the scoring in the first inning with a bang, launching a three-run homer to left center. A Defensive miscue led to the fourth run of the inning with Coffey and Ty Little driving in the other two.

After a walk and stolen base to the start the second inning, Alexander got things going with an RBI double and would later score on a Tyler Ducksworth single to center. Coffey picked up two more RBI on a single to make it 10-0 WCU with a sac fly by Little and double by Hernandez making it a 12-run advantage.

 WCU added a run in the third on an RBI groundout by Ducksworth and two more in the fourth on a defensive miscue and a Little single to left. The Crusaders finished things with off in the sixth with two runs for the final margin.

Ratliff picked up the win on the mound, going the distance, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts.