Sixth Inning Explosion Fuels Baseball's 14-7 Win Over 18th-Ranked Catawba

Justin Vasquez Drove In Three Runs

The Belmont Abbey baseball team scored seven runs in the sixth inning to blow open a 13-3 lead and never looked back as the Crusaders upset the 18th-ranked Catawba Indians 14-7 this afternoon in Salisbury. Emilio Pagan’s three run homer in the fourth inning gave the Crusaders a 4-2 lead, and a pair of Stephen Mullis homers, a three run shot in the sixth and a solo shot in the seventh, helped seal the victory.

After a scoreless first inning, Catawba jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Craig Brooks inside the park home run in the second inning. The Indians advantage grew to 2-0 in the third with Ryan Bostian’s solo shot. The Crusaders answered in the top half of the fourth inning when Kyle Buchanan singled in Gabby Amor to cut the deficit to 2-1. Pagan followed with a three run home run to give the Abbey a 4-2 lead. Catawba answered back in the bottom half of the fourth when Cameron Beard doubled to score Brett Underwood and make the score 4-3.

Justin Vasquez’s two run shot in the top of the fifth pushed the Crusaders lead to 6-3. After a scoreless bottom half of the fifth for Catawba, the Crusaders continued the scoring in the top of the sixth. Following a pair of walks to Caleb Shore and Joey Frabasile, Mullis pinch hit for John Cucchiarella and cashed in with a three run home run to start a seven run outburst to make the score 13-3. Catawba scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth on Garrett Furr’s two RBI single to cut the deficit to 13-5. Mullis’ second homer of the game, a solo shot in the seventh, capped the scoring for the Abbey. Two Catawba runs in the bottom of the eight ended the scoring and brought the final score 14-7.

James White earned the win with an inning and two thirds of relief, giving up two runs and recording four strikeouts. Patrick Rossi earned the save with three innings of work, giving up two runs while striking out six. Nick Lomascolo was saddled with the loss, after pitching five innings while giving up six runs and striking out six.

Vasquez finished three for five with three RBI and three runs scored, while Pagan was two for five with four RBI. Mullis drove in four runs.