Belmont Abbey freshman second baseman Alex Castellanos finished with four hits in five at bats, including a pair of doubles and a home run, as the Crusaders earned their fourth-straight win with a 14-9 triumph over Erskine this afternoon. The Abbey improves to 22-12 overall and 11-5 in the CVAC, while the Flying Fleet falls to 21-12 overall and 8-8 in the CVAC.

The Crusaders finished with 18 hits as seven of the nine starters collected at least two hits. Along with Castellanos, first baseman Will Breslin finished 3-5 with a home run, and righfielder Alex Udwari was among five Crusaders to finish with two hits, as he also recorded a homer.

The Abbey scored an unearned run in the first, but Erskine erased that with a pair in the second to grab a 2-1 lead. Belmont Abbey immediately tied the game at two in its half of the second on an infield single by Nick Popp that plated Castellanos.

Belmont Abbey took the lead for good in the third by scoring two runs, the first coming on a double to left by Castellanos, scoring Breslin to give the Abbey a lead it would never relinquish. Shortstop Josh Haire pushed the lead to two runs with a single that plated Castellanos.

The Abbey blew the game wide open in the fifth, scoring seven runs as it sent ten men to the plate. Tyler McKenzie drove in the first two runs with a single to left, followed by a run scoring singles to right by Udwari and Breslin on consecutive at bats. After a groundout, Castellanos launched his team leading 13th homer of the year over the wall in left, to widen the Crusaders advantage to 14-2.

Erskine scored one more in the seventh and eighth, and added five more in the ninth, but the Abbey held on for the win.

Andy Helms improved his record to 5-2 in the win, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on 14 hits in eight and one-thirds innings. He struck out five. Andrew Guest was charged with the loss. He allowed 14 runs, 13 earned, on 16 hits in five innings of work.

The two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 with a doubleheader.