HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Campbellsville University baseball again took on (RV) William Carey University Sunday afternoon. After the split the day before, the Tigers fell short in the series as game three ended with a 13-9 score.
Campbellsville opened the first inning with Jorge Gonzalez reaching first base on a single to shortstop. However, the fellow Tiger was picked off at first, leaving a clear playing field for Josiah Clark's at bat. Henry Wright found relief in a single to right field and advanced Clark around the base path. Campbellsville's efforts were unsuccessful, as two runners were left on the bases as the Tigers took the field.
Garrett Maloney debuted his skill for the first time as a Tiger in the day's competition. Maloney quickly put away the first two Crusaders to step up to the plate. Wright defended his territory in center field as he collected both pop flies that went his way.
Campbellsville suffered three up and three down in the top of the second inning. The Tigers faced some pressure into the second frame as William Carey stacked two runners on first and second base. Noah Amenta and Jacob White made plays to halt the Crusaders from gaining the upper hand and closed the inning.
In the bottom of the third, William Carey amassed a couple of hits to score a run and earn the lead. As Campbellsville needed one more out to complete the inning, the Crusaders placed two more hits into right-center and center field for two more runs. The Tigers shimmied their way out of the inning as Amenta scooped up a grounder to collect the third out.
Campbellsville stepped bravely up to the plate to begin the fourth inning. Wright homered over the left-center wall to scratch one run off their trail. McCann followed suit as he took a trot around the bases when his at-bat resulted in another Tiger home run. The next three batters did not see results, and Campbellsville trailed 3-2 entering the bottom half of the inning.
William Carey pounced on the Tigers as they acquired three hits to leave the bases loaded with no outs. PJ Ledesma stepped on the mound to relieve Maloney. Ledesma walked the first batter he faced, which allowed the Crusaders to score. With runners still in scoring position, William Carey rang up a hit down the right-field line to score two more runners. Ledesma threw a couple of wild pitches, allowing the Crusaders to score two more runs.
The fifth inning was quiet as neither team could muster up any runs. In the sixth inning, Clark was left on base after his hit to shortstop was just enough to put him on the bag. The Crusaders furthered their advantage in the bottom half of the inning. A double and a home run from William Carey placed them in a 10-2 lead with one out. Joseph Ranford came into the contest for Ledesma. Campbellsville could not find relief as the Crusaders packed on another homer, resulting in a three-run RBI.
Kale Seitz went to pinch-hit for Amenta. Seitz seized his opportunity in the box and solidified a solo trot around the bases. Alex Castaneda came into the competition to pinch-hit for Jacob Balsley. Castaneda smashed a pitch over the left-field wall for another solo homer to reign in their deficit. The Crusaders shut out the next three batters to close the top of the inning.
With one out, Campbellsville's Kobe Fredland came into pitch for Randford. Fredland forced the next two William Carey batters to ground out to the infield. The Tigers ended the inning by leaving one Crusader stranded on the bases.
Clark singled to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wright, going 3-4 on the day, singled to third, placing Clark in scoring position. McCann walked, which led the Tigers to loaded bases with no outs. Jack Marlin worked the count to secure a walk down the first base line. Campbellsville tacked one more run on their score. Although Seitz's at-bat resulted in a double play, he batted in Wright. McCann ran across the plate as Castaneda's hit beat out the third baseman. Castaneda reached home a passed ball to secure the Tigers' eighth run.
In the final inning, McCann worked around the bases and was batted in by Marlin. The Crusaders pitcher walked Sietz, and the Tiger runners loaded the corner bags. Another walk placed Castaneda on the bag. Campbellsville did not secure the win as William Carey secured the final out as Grant McQueary's fly ball flew into left field.
Campbellsville's strike percentage rang at .691 versus William Carey's .619 strike percentage. However, the Tigers' offense did not outperform the Crusaders. As runners were planted in scoring position for either team, William Carey clocked in .389 compared to Campbellsville's .222.
The Tigers will head to Sterlington, Louisiana, next weekend to compete in the Cajun Collision. Campbellsville will face off against Louisiana State University Shreveport on Friday, February 10th. The game will start at 7 p.m. ET.
