HATTIESBURG, MISS. – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist baseball battled back from an early 5-0 deficit but eventually succumbed on Thursday night in 13 innings against William Carey. The Crusaders handed the Spartans a 7-6 defeat in the season opener in Hattiesburg, Miss.
 
William Carey got off to a fast start on MBU starter Josh Ray. Catcher Jake Smith launched a three-run home run to start the scoring in the bottom of the first. The Crusaders would tack on two more on Ray in the third inning for an early 5-0 advantage.
 
From that point on, however, the Spartans settled in. They would get on the board for the first time in the fourth when Domonique Hernandez led off with a double and came around to score on a single by Anthony Enwiya.
 
MBU continued to chip away in the sixth. Caleb Dean led off with a walk and Enwiya was hit by a pitch. They each moved up when pitcher Dylan Usry committed a balk, allowing Gabriel Castillo to bring home Dean on a groundout to third. After General McArthur was hit by a pitch, Drew Brooks stepped in with two on and two out. Brooks' line drive into the gap eluded the William Carey right fielder, plating two more runs for the Spartans and closing the deficit to 5-4.
 
Mo. Bap would finally take the lead themselves in the seventh. Mason Washington doubled to start the frame and, after a walk and another hit by pitch, scored the tying run on a fielder's choice. Missouri Baptist would take the lead one batter later with a sac fly from Enwiya.
 
The lead didn't last long, however, as William Carey tied it in the eighth on an RBI single. The game stayed tied at six for four more frames before the home side finally walked it off in the bottom of the 13^th.
 
The Spartan bullpen was in midseason form all night, beginning with senior long reliever Matt Huss. Huss, along with Hayden Crowe, Austin Worrell, and Manny Pizarro, combined for nine innings of relief with just two runs allowed. Worrell was especially effective in four scoreless innings. In his Spartan debut, the redshirt freshman struck out nine of the 13 hitters he faced.
 
Offensively, MBU outhit William Carey 11-10. Second baseman Gabriel Castillo led the way with a 4-6 night at the plate. Catcher Anthony Enwiya finished the night 2-5 with two RBIs.
 
After a game that lasted nearly five hours, the Spartans will now have a quick turnaround. They'll face Ave Maria (Fla.) on the same neutral field on Friday. Senior Gary Watkins is expected to get the start for MBU with the first pitch scheduled for noon.