William Carey baseball advances to NAIA World Series after dramatic comeback

William Carey is headed to the NAIA World Series after a dramatic 13-11 victory over Cumberlands in the opening round Wednesday. The Crusaders trailed 10-2 in the sixth inning but scored 11 runs over the final three frames to secure the win, according to team sources.

The rally was highlighted by a big eighth inning, where William Carey scored 10 runs on seven hits. The comeback began with a two-run double from Franklin Hernandez and an RBI double from Tyler Ducksworth, which cut the deficit in half. Alan McClean added a two-run double, and DeeJay Booth hit a three-run home run to left-center, tying the game at 10-10, the sources said.

William Carey continued its surge, adding two more runs on a wild pitch and an RBI single from Hernandez to take a 12-10 lead after entering the inning down by eight. The Crusaders added an insurance run in the ninth when McClean singled home Ducksworth. Cumberlands made a final push with a home run from Caden Petrey, his second of the game, but it wasn’t enough, the sources said.

Matthew Davis retired the final two batters to secure the victory, according to team officials. The Crusaders will compete in Lewiston, Idaho, for the first time since 2024, with the NAIA World Series scheduled for May 22-30.

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