BELMONT, NC- The Belmont Abbey offense pounded out 18 hits, with half of those going for extra bases, and the defense thwarted four Limestone scoring chances with timely double plays as the Crusaders took the rubber game of a three-game CVAC series with a 16-6 win this afternoon. The Abbey improves to 12-8 overall and 6-3 in the CVAC, while the Saints fall to 8-10 overall and 2-6 in the CVAC.

Abbey starter David Rue upped his record to 1-0 in a solid outing, scattering five hits over seven and one-thirds innings, allowing four runs and striking out one. He threw 99 pitches. Tyler Anderson took the loss as he allowed nine runs, six earned, on ten hits in five and two-thirds innings.

Nine of the Crusaders 18 hits went for extra bases, including five homers by five different players. The Abbey scored the only runs it would need in the third inning as junior first baseman Will Breslin followed a double by rightfielder Alex Udwari with his third homer of the year, a three-run shot to right center that also brought home Tyler McKenzie, who was hit by a pitch prior to Udwari's at bat.

McKenzie upped the lead to 5-0 in the fourth with his first round-tripper of the year, a two run shot to dead center. The Saints scored one in the fifth and two more in the sixth, but the Abbey exploded for four runs in its half of the sixth. After Josh Haire reached on a leadoff error, third baseman Nick Popp drilled a shot over the left centerfield wall, his third of the year, to widen the lead to 7-3.

The Saints retired the next two batters, but the Abbey was not finished. McKenzie ripped a single, followed by an intentional walk to Udwari. After a pitching change, Breslin singled home McKenzie, and designated hitter Seth Waller followed with a lacing single to score Udwari to push the lead to 9-3.

Belmont Abbey put the contest out of reach in the seventh, as it scored five times, the big blow coming on Udwari's two run homer to right. Limestone scored three times in the eighth, but the Crusaders scored two more in its half, as second baseman Alex Castellanos ripped a two-run homer, his team-leading tenth of the year, as he brought home Waller, who led off the inning with a walk.

McKenzie, Waller, Breslin and Popp all led the Abbey with three hits apiece, and Brelsin led all players with four runs batted in to go along with three runs scored. McKenzie scored four times as eight of the nine players in the lineup scored at least once.