Belmont Abbey outfielders Seth Waller and Tyler McKenzie both had four hits as the Crusaders rallied from a 9-8 deficit by scoring seven times in the fifth to earn a 20-10 win over visiting Lenoir-Rhyne this afternoon. The Abbey improves to 7-6, while the Bears fall to 3-8.

John Merritt, the third of four Abbey pitchers, earned the win after allowing one run on two hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one. Jesse Beane took the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits in one plus innings of relief.

The Bears jumped ahead 3-0 in the top of the first on a three-run homer by Daniel Ford, but the Abbey responded with five runs in its half, sending ten men to the plate. The Bears cut the lead to 5-4 in the second but the Crusaders matched it in their half, as second baseman Alex Castellanos singled home McKenzie to push the lead back to two at 6-4.

Belmont Abbey's lead was short lived as L-R exploded for four runs in the third to claim an 8-6 lead, but the Crusaders tied it at eight with two in their half, using a Carlos Vasquez RBI single that scored Will Breslin, and a balk that brought home Waller to tie the game at eight.

The Bears surged ahead 9-8 with a run in the fifth, but the Abbey took command of the lead for good by scoring seven times in its half, sending ten men to the plate, with the big blow coming on catcher Jay McConnell's bases loaded double that emptied the bases. McConnell later scored on a wild pitch for the seventh run of the frame.

Up 15-9, the Crusaders tacked on two more in the sixth as Waller tripled home Breslin and later scored on a groundout by Vasquez. The Abbey added three more in the seventh to extend the lead to 20-9. Lenoir-Rhyne pushed one across in the ninth for the final run.

The Abbey banged out 20 hits as Waller finished 4-4 with two runs batted in and five runs scored. McKenzie went 4-6 with four runs scored. Vasquez and Patrick Atwell both finished with three hits.

The Crusaders are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 when they host Catawba.