HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Coastal Georgia's remarkable season came to a close Tuesday evening, falling to William Carey 7-2 in the NAIA National Tournament to finish the year at 38-14. Playing their second game of the day after an emotionally and physically draining 12-inning victory over Columbia earlier in the afternoon, the Mariners gave everything they had against a talented Crusaders squad but were unable to overcome an early deficit.
William Carey took control in the first inning when Albanie Fussell delivered a two-run double to give the Crusaders a 2-0 lead right out of the gate. Fussell and the Crusader offense continued to make life difficult throughout, adding runs in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to steadily build the advantage out of reach. Fussell finished the game with four RBI, proving to be the difference maker against a Coastal Georgia pitching staff that was understandably taxed after the lengthy contest earlier in the day.
The Mariners showed fight in the fourth, putting together their best offensive inning of the evening. Rylee Mills singled and Hannah Bailey took over as a pinch runner before Brooke Perdue doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Rily Andrews then came through with a clutch two-run double to pull Coastal Georgia within 4-2 and give the team renewed hope. Unfortunately William Carey answered with additional runs in the fifth and sixth to put the game beyond reach.
Andrews was the standout performer for Coastal Georgia, going 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Carolino singled at the top of the lineup, Perdue contributed a double and a run scored, and Ashley Stanley added a hit in what was a competitive effort from a team that simply ran out of gas after one of the most draining days of the season.
While the tournament exit is always difficult, Coastal Georgia can look back on the 2026 season with enormous pride. The Mariners won 38 games, captured multiple series against quality opponents, made a deep run in the Sun Conference Tournament, and earned a spot on the national stage at the NAIA Tournament. The program continues to build toward something special, and the future is extremely bright for Coastal Georgia softball.
