HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey Softball Team split a conference double header against Blue Mountain Christian, dropping game one 2-1 but took game two 6-0 Friday afternoon at Joseph & Nancy Fail Field.
Carey threatened early, loading the bases with no outs but managed only one run on an Albanie Fussell RBI ground out. It was a short-lived lead, as the Toppers strung together four hits in the third with two outs to tie the game with Kinley Hogue keeping it tied, rifling home a throw from right field to get the runner advancing from second to end the inning.
Blue Mountain would take the lead for good in the fifth, moving a runner to third on two sacrifice bunts followed by what would be the game winning double to right center. The Blue Mountain defense along with pitcher Madison Montgomery did the rest, limiting Carey to just one hit over the final three innings.
The start of the second game saw the Lady Crusader offense continue to struggle for the first two innings. However, in the third, after a ground out to start the inning, a defensive miscue followed by back-to-back singles loaded the bases.
Julia Shaw then stepped to the plate and delivered the hit Carey was needing, driving a single to center to score Liz Cross and Madison Gray. Fussell picked up another RBI on a groundout to make it 3-0 WCU.
Carey added a run in the fifth on a Shaw sac fly and in the sixth put the game away for good with two runs on three hits. A throwing error allowed the first run to score with Cross driving in the final run on a single to center field.
Starting pitcher Reanna Nieman was brilliant in the circle, going all seven innings scattering three hits with four strikeouts.
