HATTIESBURG, Miss. – MBU Baseball fell 13-6 to (RV) William Carey on the road in Mississippi on Thursday afternoon in the 2022 season opener. The Spartans are back in action on Friday afternoon for two more games.
 
The Spartans started fast on Thursday with a run in the top of the first. Ashanti Ross led off with a single and then swiped second base. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Ross came around to score on a Crusaders error to open the action. They would add another in the fourth when Manny Garcia drove in Alex Adams from second with a single.
 
With ace Masen Palmier on the mound, the first four innings went according to plan for MBU. But then things went haywire in the fifth. WCU broke through with an RBI single and added two more on a double. Then, with two on and two outs, back to back Mobap errors handed the Crusaders two more runs.
 
The Spartan offense responded immediately with a three-run sixth to make it 6-5. With the bases loaded and no one out, Manny Garcia drove in his second run of the day with a base hit. They would add two more in the frame – one on a ground out and one on a passed ball.
 
After a Noah Hemphill sacrifice fly in the seventh tied the game at six, William Carey retook the lead for good in the bottom half. Three hits and another Mobap error led to four runs. The Crusaders added another three in the eighth for insurance and the Spartans were retired in order in the ninth to end it.
 
Manny Garcia and newcomer Alex Adams combined for four of the Spartans' seven hits. Adams and Ashanti Ross each scored two runs apiece.
 
Friday will feature two games – one with Bethel University (Ind.) followed by another with the hosts, William Carey. The day's first pitch is set for noon.