BELMONT, NC - The Belmont Abbey softball team split a CVAC doubleheader with Lees-McRae, falling in the opener 8-2 before rallying to win the nightcap, 12-6. The split gives the Abbey a 4-12 overall record and a 1-5 mark in the CVAC, while the Bobcats are now 4-12 overall and 1-3 in the CVAC.

In the opener, Lees-McRae pitcher Amanda Dodson went the distance on the mound, allowing two runs on ten hits while striking out seven, and helped herself offensively with a three-run homer in the first inning as the Bobcats never trailed. After the homer, the Crusaders got on the board in the first when Abby Threatt walked, moved to third on a double by Katie Hobbs, and scored on a ground out by Erica Rutledge.

That was all of the scoring until the fourth when the Bobcats tacked on three more, and they added two more in the fifth to open up an 8-1 lead. The Crusaders added their final run in the sixth when third baseman Angie Sowell hit an opposite field homer to right, her second of the year, but the Bobcats held on for the win. Hobbs led the Crusaders with four hits in three at bats, posting two doubles and a single. Dodson earned the win, and Rutledge took the loss.

In game two, the Abbey snapped a five-game losing streak as it jumped ahead 4-0 in the bottom of the third. With one out, the Crusaders loaded the bases for Rutledge, who ripped a single to right scoring Brittany Memoli and Jessica Inman to give the Abbey a 2-0 lead. The Abbey would then take advantage of one of five Bobcats errors to score another run, as Hobbs scored on a throwing error to extend the lead to 3-0. Sowell followed with a double to right that brought home Rutledge to increase the lead to 4-0.

The Bobcats got on the board in the fourth on a sacrifice fly, but the Abbey countered with four more runs in its half of the inning, taking advantage of four Bobcats errors to extend its lead to 8-1.

Lees-McRae cut the lead to 8-6 with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth, but the Crusaders scored four more in the sixth, three coming on a homer to left center by Rutledge, and the other coming on an RBI double by Gina Stewart that plated Sowell.

Carrie Markham picked up the win, as she allowed six runs on nine hits, striking out seven and walking two in a complete game effort.

The Abbey is back in action Saturday when it goes on the road to face Carson-Newman. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.