Hattiesburg, Miss. — The Blue Mountain Christian Toppers baseball team split a doubleheader against the No. 15 William Carey Crusaders on Friday afternoon. The Crusaders won the opener 2-1 in a pitchers’ duel, but the Toppers responded with an 11-5 victory in the second game, led by strong offensive performances and a complete game from pitcher Benji Webb.
In Game 1, Blue Mountain Christian scored first in the third inning on a Cody Presley RBI double that brought home Jake Meilstrup. William Carey answered in the bottom half of the inning and took the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly. The Toppers collected only three hits in the game, with Presley driving in the only run. Christian Maness pitched 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, and Ryan Murphy threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
Momentum shifted in Game 2. Bryant opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning, scoring Meilstrup. The Crusaders responded with a run, but Blue Mountain Christian broke the game open in the second inning. Reise Thomas doubled in a run, and Meilstrup added an RBI single. Bryant then drove in another run with a single, pushing the lead to 5-1.
The Toppers continued to extend their lead in the fourth, with Bryant driving in two more runs with a single and Presley adding an RBI double. Jarrett Morris and Yaidel Perez also contributed with RBIs, and the team finished with 11 hits. Bryant led the offense, going 3-for-3 with four runs scored and five RBIs. Meilstrup and Presley each added two hits, while Thomas scored twice and drove in a run.
On the mound, Webb pitched a complete game, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out six over nine innings. Despite late pushes from William Carey, Webb kept the Crusaders at bay to secure the win. The series will conclude with Game 3 on Saturday.
