By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
HATTIESBURG – Bobby Halford probably summed up the weekend best for William Carey University.
“That was like pulling teeth,” the veteran Crusader coach said after Carey escaped a Southern States Athletic Conference weekend series against Blue Mountain Christian with a 10-7 victory in the series finale, the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Milton Wheeler Field.
WCU (27-14 overall) managed to salvage one win out the three-game series after BMC won Friday’s opener 19-5 and the first game Saturday 11-9.
The Crusaders finished the weekend tied for third in the SSAC with Point University at 17-10 in league play with three games left in the regular season. The Toppers came out of the series 27-28 and 11-16, tied for eighth.
“This team, Blue Mountain, probably swings the bats as well as any team in our league,” said Halford. “We knew coming it, it was going to be that kind of game. We knew no lead was safe. That’s why we felt like we had to go to (John) Snyder earlier than normal.”
Snyder, the ace closer for Carey, threw in both games and delivered 4 1/3 innings of relief, allowing no runs on three hits, he struck out seven and did not walk or hit a batter.
Truthfully, Blue Mountain lived up to its reputation at the plate all weekend. The Toppers rapped out 16 hits on Friday, they had 10 more in the first game Saturday and 14 hits in the nightcap.
It was a series with big innings on both sides beginning with the eight runs BMC put up in the eighth inning Friday to run-rule the Crusaders.
The Toppers had the first haymaker in the top of the second inning, after Carey scratched across a run in the bottom of the first.
Senior R.J. Stinson led off the Crusader first with a single and went to third when junior Rigoberto Hernandez singled inside the bag at first base. Stinson scored on an error when a pickoff throw got away at first base, allowing Stinson to trot home with the run.
But after working three strikeouts around a pair of singles, WCU starter Dario Herrera got himself in trouble with control problems, and the result was a five-run inning for Blue Mountain.
“They came out swinging, and we just had to compete with them,” said Carey senior Bailee Hendon. “They scored more runs than we did, but we did our best.”
The Toppers loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter. Herrera got a strikeout then BMC leadoff hitter Tyrese Roberson hit a double-play ball that was booted, letting two runs score.
Herrera got another strikeout, but junior Carson Gault clubbed the next pitch into the gap in right-centerfield for a two-run double. Junior Will Crawford followed with a run-scoring double.
The Crusaders played the opener without starting shortstop Bridley Thomas, who was suspended for the game, along Addarius Townsend, BMC’s leading hitter, after an incident on Friday where both players were ejected.
Carey wasn’t down long, however, responding with a seven-run rally in the bottom of the second, mostly on the strength of two longballs into a brisk breeze blowing out to rightfield.
The Blue Mountain starter, senior right-hander Matthew Koch, was in trouble from the start after being presented with a lead in the second inning. Senior Preston Ratliff singled into right and senior Billy Garrity stroked a single to left to open the inning for the Crusaders.
A passed ball moved the runners up, and Ratliff came home on a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of senior Caleb Laird. Junior Jerod Williams drove in Garrity with a single to right, then Stinson singled, setting the table for Hernandez’ three-run bomb to right.
Senior Braydon Coffey kept the rally going with a single, and Hendon hit a ball in almost the same spot as Hernandez, driving in two more runs on the home run, giving Carey an 8-5 lead.
“I was just feeling good up there,” said Hendon. “I got the pitch I wanted, and I just hit it. Wind was blowing out.”
Blue Mountain used a longball of its own, a two-run blast to left by junior Chris Smith, to shave the lead in the third, but Herrera got through the inning otherwise unscathed.
That was not the case for the senior left-hander in the fourth, as a leadoff error in the infield and a run-scoring double by Crawford tied the game 8-8 and ending Herrera’s night.
Ratliff, coming out of the designated hitter position to pitch in relief, got out of the fourth without further damage.
But Smith’s leadoff single and a bad pickoff attempt put a runner on third, and senior Bryland Skinner delivered a single up the middle to drive in the go-ahead run.
BMC added two more runs in the inning after Ratliff (1-2) got two outs. Carey elected to intentionally walk Gault, but a hit batter loaded the bases, and junior Josiah Rivera got the runs home on a single into leftfield.
Halford elected to bring out Snyder to get out of the inning, and with runners at the corners, he did just that by getting a called third strike.
Snyder retired all seven batters he faced in Game 1, and he also earned his 10th save of the season in the nightcap.
“I told my coaches that I was good to go both games,” said Snyder. “I hadn’t pitched in a week and I didn’t go Friday. I was ready.”
It wasn’t enough, however, because junior left-hander Ammon Murphy came out of the Blue Mountain bullpen and stifled the Crusader bats.
Murphy (4-0) scattered four hits, and allowed just one run, coming on a solo homer by senior Jake Lycette with two out in the sixth.
“I think we’re going to hit another gear,” said Hendon. “I think we can get another hot streak going.”
With their backs truly against the wall, needing a win after taking their third loss in four games, the Crusaders came out for Game 2 with a sense of urgency and took command early.
Roberson started a 4-for-5 game for Blue Mountain by smacking the first pitch of the nightcap off sophomore right-hander Josh MacCord into rightfield for a single. But MacCord got a double play and a strikeout to snuff out the Toppers in the first.
Carey quickly went on the attack against junior right-hander Austin Garrison. Stinson drew a leadoff walk, then Hernandez got a high flyball up into the wind down the rightfield line and it carried for a two-run homer.
Garrison got an out, but plunked Hendon and Thomas, giving Garrity the chance to rap an RBI single to left and a 3-0 lead for Carey.
“Rigoberto’s been out with that hamstring, and he aggravated it again today,” said Halford. “But he had a big day for us. Williams has been battling a thigh injury and Coffey’s had a concussion.
“We’re not making excuses, but injuries have a big part of our season that’s really hurt us. We had a lot of guys who’ve missed time.”
MacCord pitched around one-out singles in the second and third without trouble, while Garrison retired the Crusaders in order in the top of the third.
However, Carey got a big inning in its half of the third started by loading the bases on two walks around a single by Hendon. At that point, play was stopped after lightning was detected nearby, leading to a weather delay that extended for an hour and 51 minutes.
BMC elected not to bring back Garrison (1-5) after the delay, bringing out senior left-hander Jackson Siler to face Thomas, who answered with a run-scoring single to left.
Siler got a double play, with a run scoring, but a walk extended the inning, and Williams made the Toppers pay with a two-run double to the gap in right-centerfield.
Halford decided to bring back MacCord, despite the long delay between innings, but he wasn’t the same.
Blue Mountain got its first two batters on in the fourth on singles by Gault and Crawford, both runners advanced on a wild pitch and both runners scored on a one-out single by Rivera.
“With Adams, we felt the third time around (through the batting order) might not be best for him,” Halford said. “We sent MacCord out there; he was telling us it’s OK, but a long delay like that, it’s asking too much.”
Senior Connor Adams was brought on to put out the fire, and he skirted trouble to get it done. The Toppers got runners to second and third with two out, on a botched pickoff throw, a walk and a stolen base, but Adams slammed the door with a called third strike to end the inning.
“I was prepared for it,” Adams said. “It was a tough spot, and I know they were hitting the ball well all weekend. The biggest thing was that I was prepared.”
Adams (3-0) allowed a run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, striking out eight and walking just one.
“All my pitches were working,” Adams said. “I don’t have the fastest fastball, so getting ahead in the count and being able to work all my pitches whenever I wanted was big, to keep them off balance.
“A good breaking pitch makes a fastball look that much faster. I got ahead of hitters on sliders, and was painting the outside corners with the fastball to get the strikeouts.”
Carey picked up two more runs in the bottom of the seventh after two were out. A dropped flyball in the outfield opened the door as the Crusaders took advantage of a hit batter and three straight walks to plate their runs, one coming in on a passed ball.
With a 9-3 lead, Carey brought junior right-hander Luke Lycette to pitch the eighth inning, and that move backfired badly. A leadoff single and two walks loaded the bases, and all three runners came home when Smith smoked a double to the wall in left-centerfield.
That’s when Halford went back to Snyder for the second time Saturday. Snyder only used 23 pitches his 2 1/3 innings in the first game, so he was still relatively fresh.
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“He’d only thrown 23 pitches,” Halford said. “Luke’s arm was a little tired, and that’s why he wasn’t as effective. He said he might have one inning in him, but they maybe squeezed him a little and it unraveled on him.”
Snyder got back-to-back strikeouts, but Roberson capped his night with a run-scoring double to left. That was the extent of the damage.
Carey gave Snyder an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Jake Lycette drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on a pair of hit batters, the second with the bases loaded.
After getting two quick strikeouts to open the ninth, Snyder thought he got squeezed on an inside fastball that would have been the third strike on Townsend. Instead, Townsend sent the next pitch into left for a double, then Rivera singled to put runners at the corners.
No problem. Snyder got Smith to swing through a 3-2 pitch to nail down the save and a much-needed victory.
“You’ve just got to shut the door real quick in those situations,” said Snyder. “They missed two calls that I painted, so I was due one.”
WCU is crowded group of teams chasing league-leader Faulkner, which is three games ahead of the field. The Crusaders finish the regular season next week at second-place Loyola, with a game Thursday and a doubleheader on Friday, then the SSAC Tournament begins May 1.
“I feel like on a given day, we can beat anybody in our league,” Halford said. “When we have all of our pieces out there, we’re a pretty good team. Hopefully, we can get all of our guys back at the right time, then I think our team can do some things.”
College Baseball Linescore
Saturday at Milton Wheeler Field
Blue Mountain 11, William Carey 9
BMC 052 130 0 – 11 10 1
Carey 170 001 0 – 9 13 3
BLUE MOUNTAIN (27-17, 11-15 in SSAC): Carson Gault 2B, 1B; Will Crawford 2B, 2 1B; Josiah Rivera 1B; Austin Garrison 1B; Chris Smith HR (2-run), 1B; Bryland Skinner 1B. WP – Ammon Murphy (4-0). Also pitching – Matthew Koch (starter).
WILLIAM CAREY (26-14, 16-10 in SSAC): R.J. Stinson 2 1B; Rigoberto Hernandez HR (3-run), 1B; Jake Lycette HR (solo); Braydon Coffey 2 1B; Bailee Hendon HR (2-run); Preston Ratliff 1B; Billy Garrity 2 1B; Caleb Laird 1B; Jeron Williams 1B. LP – Preston Ratliff (1-2). Also pitching – Dario Herrera (starter); John Snyder.
William Carey 10, Blue Mountain 7
BMC 000 200 140 – 7 14 1
Carey 304 000 21X – 10 7 3
BLUE MOUNTAIN (27-18, 11-16 in SSAC): Tyrese Roberson 2 2B, 2 1B; Carson Gault 1B; Will Crawford 2 1B; Addarius Townsend 2B, 1B; Josiah Rivera 2 1B; Chris Smith 2B; Chris Hoing 2 1B. LP – Austin Garrison (1-5). Also pitching – Jackson Siler; Hunter Pierson; Caleb Bass.
WILLIAM CAREY (27-14, 17-10 in SSAC): Rigoberto Hernandez HR (2-run); Bailee Hendon 2 B; Bridley Thomas 2 1B; Billy Garrity 1B; Jeron Williams 2B. WP – Connor Adams (3-0) 8 Ks. Save – John Snyder (10). Also pitching – Luke Lycette.
