FLORENCE, SC- Belmont Abbey stunned sixth-ranked Francis Marion 2-1 in the opener, and fell 7-5 in the second game of a college baseball doubleheader on the campus of Francis Marion this afternoon. The split gives the Crusaders a 2-1 record, while the Swamp Foxes are now 1-1.

In the opener, Belmont Abbey scored unearned runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Seth Waller struck out to lead off the fifth frame, but reached when the third strike was a wild pitch. He went to second on a single, took third on a passed ball, and scored on a third baseman Nick Popp sacrifice fly to left center. In the sixth, Waller drove home the second Crusader run with an infield groundout. The inning was prolonged by two FMU errors and a hit batter.

Francis Marion scored its lone run in the bottom of the seventh and final inning. Pinch hitter Eric Armstrong plated Ryan Hewitt with a run-scoring single to left.

FMU junior Dylan Owen was tagged with the loss despite fanning seven in six innings and allowing only six singles. He fell to 0-1. Belmont Abbey starter Andy Helms earned the win after he tossed five shutout innings, and Evan Jonas recorded the final three outs to earn a save.

Belmont Abbey center fielder Patrick Atwell (2-for-4) was the lone player on either side with more than one hit in game one. It was the first time since 1994 that the Patriots lost their season opener.

In the second game, the Swamp Foxes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Abbey would tie it at two in its half of the second, getting a run on a wild pitch and a bases loaded walk. Francis Marion scored two more in its half of the second to regain the two-run advantage, but the Abbey trimmed the lead to one in the fourth on an RBI single by Derek Swilley. The Abbey plated two more in the fifth to regain the lead at 5-4, but the Swamp Foxes scored three in the fifth, two coming on a single by Jared Barkdoll, as Francis Marion held on to win.

Francis Marion senior right-hander Brooks Sinquefield (1-0) allowed only one hit over three innings in relief to earn the win. Crusader starter Andrew Morton (0-1) allowed six earned runs in 4.1 innings and was charged with the loss.