HATTIESBURG, Miss. – GAME 2 – Blue Mountain Christian and No. 25 William Carey have matched up every year but two in the state series since 2011, and the Toppers finally grabbed a series from the Crusaders for the first time in program history Saturday by winning 2-of-3.
The Toppers knocked off the Crusaders in Game 2 by a score of 11-9, securing the important SSAC series from its state rival.
Blue Mountain's Ammon Murphy (4-0) was stellar on the bump, coming on in relief to grab the win.
Murphy would throw 5.1 innings in the seven-inning game, allowing a lone run on just four hits with three Ks to keep his perfect record intact.
The Toppers had a big second inning where Carson Gault belted a two-run double and Will Crawford had an RBI single.
Carey would rally for seven runs in the bottom of the second, capped by a three-run homer from Rigoberto Hernandez off BMCU starter Matthew Koch.
BMCU's Chris Smith would hit his second homer of the season in the third, a two-run shot to left, followed by a Crawford RBI double in the fourth to tie it at 8-8.
The Toppers pulled away in the fifth and sixth innings, getting an RBI single from Bryland Skinner and a two-run double from Josiah Rivera to secure the victory and the series.
Crawford finished with three hits, while Smith and Gault had two hits each.  Smith drove in two and scored twice.
 
GAME 3
The nightcap saw a long delay due to rain and lightning, but when it was over William Carey was able to hold on to a 10-7 victory to salvage being swept.
The Crusaders jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, with an RBI single from Billy Garrity against BMCU starter Austin Garrison.
Carey continued to score in the third, plating four highlighted by RBI singles from Bridley Thomas and Caeleb Williams to make it 7-0.
The Toppers hit the board in the fourth, with Josiah notching a two-run single through the left side.
The seventh inning saw BMCU's Tyrese Roberson single in a run, but the Crusaders would answer with two of their own in the bottom half.
In the eighth, the Toppers cut the lead when Chris Smith roped a three-run double to left-center and Roberson doubled in a run.
Down 10-7 in the ninth, the Toppers got back-to-back hits from Arderrius Townsend and Josiah Rivera but couldn't capitalize, as Carey held on.
Roberson finished with four hits and two RBI for the Toppers, while Townsend, Rivera and Will Crawford all had two hits.  Smith drove in three also for the Toppers.
Garrison (1-5) would suffer the loss for Blue Mountain, tossing two innings, giving up six runs on three hits with three Ks.
BMCU (27-17, 11-16 SSAC) returns to action Monday in a nine-inning game against Oakwood University (Ala.) in Blue Mountain at 5 p.m. CT.
 

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