From Internet Reports
LEWISTON, Idaho – William Carey University has served notice that it didn’t travel to Idaho just to come back empty-handed.
After a dramatic 6-4 victory over Bellevue (Neb.) in their opening game at the NAIA World Series on Friday, the Crusaders came out firing on all cylinders in a clash with top-seeded Southeastern (Fla.) Monday night, defeating the Fire 13-4.
No. 4 seed WCU (49-9) advanced to a winner’s bracket contest against 2-seed Westmont (Cal.) at 8:35 p.m. Tuesday. Southeastern (56-5) will battle Taylor (Ind.) in an elimination game at 5:05 p.m. Tuesday.
Carey wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the Fire’s pedigree as the defending World Series champion and the consensus No. 1 team in the NAIA rankings from the preseason poll and throughout the regular season.
Senior right-hander A.J. Stinson was masterful once again for the Crusaders, pitching his way into and out of trouble in a vintage outing for Stinson (8-2).
The former Hattiesburg High star went the distance, allowing four runs, all earned, on eight hits. He struck out six and walked eight, but persevered through 156 pitches, 94 for strikes.
Southeastern appeared to be in business at the outset, getting its first two batters on second and third via a leadoff walk and a double. Stinson got an out on a comebacker to the mound, but let a runner in with a wild pitch.
However, with a runner on third and only one out, Stinson got a strikeout and a groundout to avoid further trouble.
And his teammates wasted little time picking him up.
Fire starter Robb Adams got two outs on his first two pitches of the bottom of the first inning, but junior Jake Lycette went the other way for a double down the leftfield line and senior Patrick Lee followed with a two-run home run to centerfield.
Stinson pitched around a one-out double in the second and a double play erased a leadoff walk in the third.
The Crusaders padded their lead in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs. Senior Bobby Lada smacked a leadoff double to left, Lycette singled and stole second.
Junior Preston Ratliff drove in one run with a single to left then junior Rigoberto Hernandez beat out a relay on a double-play ball, allowing Lycette to score from third.
Carey broke it open with three more runs in the fourth. With two out and a runner on via a walk, Lada singled up the middle and Lycette brought both runners home with a double into the rightfield gap and Lee followed with an RBI double.
Southeastern threatened in the top of the sixth, getting two runners on with a walk and a hit batter. A grounder to third moved the runners up and a single scored one run, but Carey rightfielder Kris Jones threw out the second runner at the plate to end the inning.
The Crusaders cruised from there.
Lycette led off the bottom of the seventh with a homer, then Carey loaded the bases with a walk, a single and a hit batter. Two more runs came home on a throwing error in the infield.
WCU tacked on three more runs in the eighth, loading the bases with one out on three walks. Hernandez got two runs in with a single through the hole at second base and a groundout goa run home from third.
Stinson got two strikeouts sandwiched around a single in the top of the ninth, but surrendered a two home run to Isaac Nunez, but that was the extent of the damage.
Carey will send junior left-hander Dario Herrera (9-0) to the mound against Westmont, and he will have a rested bullpen behind him.
Carey Baseball Linescore
NAIA World Series
Monday at Harris Field, Lewiston, Idaho
William Carey 13, Southeastern (Fla.) 4
Southeastern 100 001 002 – 4 8 1
William Carey 202 300 33x – 13 13 0
SOUTHEASTERN (56-5): Isaac Nunez HR (2-run), 2B; Stephen Cullen 2 1B; Jose Marcano 2B, 1B; Nick Block 2 1B. LP – Robb Adams (7-2). Also pitching – Juan Pimentel; J.J. Sanchez; Edward Surinach.
WILLIAM CAREY (49-9): Bobby Lada 2B, 1B; Jake Lycette HR (solo), 2 2B, 1B (3 RBIs); Patrick Lee HR (2-run), 2B (3 RBIs); Preston Ratliff 2 1B; Rigoberto Hernandez 3 1B (3 RBIs). WP – A.J. Stinson (8-2) 6 Ks.
NAIA World Series
At Harris Field, Lewiston, Idaho
(Single bracket, double-elimination)
Friday
Taylor (Ind.) 6, Mid-American Nazarene (Kan.) 5
Westmont (Cal.) 7, Cumberlands (Ky.) 3
William Carey 6, Bellevue (Neb.) 4
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 12, Indiana Wesleyan 4
Saturday
Mid-American-Nazarene (Kan.) 4, Cumberlands (Ky.) 3, Cumberlands eliminated
Indiana Wesleyan 5, Bellevue (Neb.) 3, 11 innings, Bellevue eliminated
Taylor (Ind.) 23, Georgia Gwinnett 7
Southeastern (Fla.) 5, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 2
Monday
Indiana Wesleyan 11, Georgia Gwinnett 10, Georgia Gwinnett eliminated
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 16, Mid-American Nazarene (Kan.) 7, Mid-Am Nazarene eliminated
Westmont (Cal.) 15, Taylor (Ind.) 9
William Carey 13, Southeastern (Fla.) 4
Tuesday
1:05 p.m. – Lewis-Clark State, Idaho (35-17) vs. Taylor, Ind. (42-16); 5:05 p.m. – Southeastern, Fla. (56-5) vs. Indiana Wesleyan (41-19-1); 8:35 p.m. – Westmont, Cal. (45-8) vs. William Carey (49-9).
