TIFTON, Ga. — The Carey softball team earned a split in Saturday's doubleheader against Abraham Baldwin, rolling to a 10–0 victory in the opener before dropping a tightly contested 2–1 decision in game two to close out its Georgia road swing.
Game One: Carey 10, Abraham Baldwin 0
Carey set the tone early in the opening game and never looked back. Jayden Sawyer jumpstarted the offense in the top of the second inning with a solo home run, giving the Lady Crusaders an early 1–0 lead.
The advantage grew in the fourth when Kasia Rodriguez drove in Lily Bittle with an RBI single. Carey broke the game open in the fifth inning, as Albanie Fussell knocked in a run with a single before Sawyer struck again, launching a two-run homer to extend the lead to 5–0.
The Lady Crusaders put the game out of reach in the sixth, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring five runs on six hits. Liz Cross opened the rally with an RBI single, followed by a two-run double from Caroline Lindsey. Julia Shaw capped the inning with a two-run single to push the margin into double digits.
Sawyer powered the offense, finishing with two home runs and three RBIs. Lindsey and Shaw each drove in two runs, while Fussell, Cross, and Rodriguez also contributed RBIs. Carey totaled 15 hits in the contest.
In the circle, Sawyer was dominant, allowing just one hit while stranding multiple runners. Abraham Baldwin threatened in the third and fifth innings but was unable to capitalize, leaving eight runners on base.
Game Two: Abraham Baldwin 2, Carey 1
The nightcap was a pitcher's duel early, with both teams held scoreless through the first two innings. Abraham Baldwin created early pressure in the second, placing two runners on base with back-to-back singles, but Carey worked out of the jam to keep the game even.
The Phillies broke through in the third when Ansleigh Darby led off with a single and later advanced to third. Kinley Snider followed with an RBI single to center field, plating Darby for the game's first run. Carey limited the damage, stranding two runners to stay within one.
Carey's offense remained quiet until the sixth inning, when aggressive baserunning proved decisive. Liz Cross led off with a single, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and moved to third on a stolen base before scoring the tying run on a wild pitch to make it 1–1.
Abraham Baldwin answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning, reclaiming the lead on a Lindsey Paul sacrifice fly to center field. The Phillies then worked a clean seventh inning to secure the 2–1 victory.
Carey returns to action on Friday, March 20, when the Lady Crusaders take on Thomas University. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Joseph & Nancy Fail Field.
