The William Carey baseball team’s run in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series came to an end on Wednesday night.
The Crusaders fell to Lewis-Clark College 15-6 in the tournament’s semifinals, ending the team’s stellar season that included a conference championship and the 1,300th career victory for head coach Bobby Halford.
The kind of season that makes it feel unfair when it comes up short.
What a year for @WmCareyBSB:
-Conference champions
-Opening round champions
-Min. 4th place finish in World Series
-1,300th win for Bobby HalfordTil’ next time, Go Saders. pic.twitter.com/Wfk3dDX0tn
— Ben Milam (@benomilam) June 1, 2023
During Wednesday’s loss to Lewis-Clark, the Warriors jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings of play. The Crusaders made a comeback in the top of the fourth inning, tying the game at six on RBIs from Rigoberto Hernandez, Caleb Laird, and Bobby Lada.
It didn’t take long for Lewis-Clark to break the tie with a three-run shot from Nick Seamons in the bottom of the inning. The Warriors extended their lead to 13-6 in the seventh before Jake Green closed out the game in the top of the ninth.
On the mound, Green (5-0) came away with the victory while John Snyder (2-2) suffered the loss. RJ Stinson, Lada, and Hernandez led the way offensively for the Crusaders with two hits apiece.
With the elimination of No. 4 seed William Carey, only three teams remain in the NAIA World Series: No. 9 Lewis-Clark, No. 1 Southeastern, and No. 3 Westmont. The Crusaders finish the year with an overall record of 49-11.
