LEWISTON, Idaho- No. 10 William Carey (Miss.) used a three-run ninth inning to pull away from No. 1 Taylor (Ind.) for a 7-4 victory on Friday at Harris Field, overcoming a sixth-inning comeback by the Trojans in a tightly contested first-round matchup.

The Trojans struck first in the opening inning when Brayden Manning lined an RBI single to right field, scoring Fletcher Roemmich for an early 1-0 lead. The Crusaders answered quickly in the bottom of the second, driving in three runs to take control. Gage Hinnant drove in the equalizer with a single before Alan McClean doubled to left-center to put the Crusaders in front. DeeJay Booth later added an RBI groundout to cap the three-run frame and give William Carey a 3-1 advantage.

The Crusaders extended the lead in the fifth when Booth launched a solo home run to center field, pushing the margin to 4-1.

Taylor rallied in the sixth inning to erase the deficit. Rylee Singleton delivered an RBI single before a wild pitch brought home another run. Luke Sutter later tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI single to center, shifting momentum back toward the Trojans.

After the sixth-inning surge, both teams battled through several scoreless frames as pitching and defense tightened late. William Carey reliever Jimmie Johnson proved critical during that stretch, holding Taylor to just one hit across 3.2 scoreless innings while striking out three.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when William Carey's Taylor Walters delivered the go-ahead RBI single through the right side to break the deadlock before Jayden Mark followed with a two-run double to center, extending the lead to 7-4 and sealing the win.

The Crusaders finished with seven runs on seven hits and drew seven walks. Booth led the offense with two RBIs, including the solo homer, while Hinnant added two hits and an RBI. Walters reached base four times and provided the decisive hit in the ninth.

Taylor also collected seven hits and seven walks, while Sutter paced the Trojans with two hits and an RBI in the comeback effort.

Johnson earned the win in relief for William Carey, improving to 7-2 on the season. Taylor’s Jake Boyer was charged with the loss after the Crusaders broke through in the final inning.

Taylor will face No. 4 Doane (Neb.) on Saturday at 3 p.m. in an elimination game. William Carey (Miss.) will continue in the winners bracket and face No. 7 MACU (Okla.) on Monday at 3 p.m.