Baseball Defeats Mount Olive, 5-2 To Avoid Sweep

John Cucchiarella Drove In Two Runs On Two Hits

The Belmont Abbey baseball team rapped out nine hits as it never trailed in the game en route to a 5-2 win at Mount Olive this afternoon to avoid a Conference Carolinas series sweep. The win moves the Abbey's record to 12-6 overall and 4-2 in Conference Carolinas, while the Trojans drop to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in Conference Carolinas.

Belmont Abbey wasted no time taking the lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first as Emilo Pagan reached on a one out bunt, moved to second on a walk to Kyle Buchanan and scooted to third on a deep flyout to left by Joey Frabasile. He then stole home to produce the game's first run. The second came on John Cucchiarella's single to center that plated Buchanan.

After the Trojans cut the Abbey lead in half in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer, the Crusaders matched in the fourth as Ian Vazquez's single to left scored Frabasile, who reached on a one out single.

Mount Olive scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame to close its gap to 3-2, but the Abbey pulled away with solo runs in the eighth and ninth.

In the eighth, Cucchiarella's single to right scored Buchanan, who drew a one out walk and moved to third on a double by Frabasile. One inning later, Pagan beat out an infield single that brought home Vazquez from third. Vazquez began the inning getting hit by a pitch.

Nate Cudney moved to 2-0 in the win, as he allowed just one hit over the final four and two-thirds scoreless innings, striking out three and walking none. Mount Olive starter Zach Smith fell to 1-2 in the loss, as he gave up three runs on five hits in four innings, striking out four and walking three.

Pagan finished with three of the Abbey's nine hits, all singles. He added an RBI. Vazquez, Cuchiarella and Frabasile all registered two hits with Cucchiarella driving in two runs.