The Belmont Abbey baseball team split a doubleheader with visiting Mars Hill College this afternoon, dropping the opener 4-2 before taking the second game 7-5, which was ended after five innings due to darkness.

In the opener, the Crusaders opened the scoring in the first as Jay McConnell singled home Tyler McKenzie, who led off the inning with an infield single. The advantage grew to 2-0 in the fifth on an RBI double by Seth Waller, scoring McKenzie.

Abbey staring pitcher Tyler Powell, in his first collegiate appearance, made the lead stand up as he held the Lions to five scoreless innings, at one point retiring ten straight batters.

Mars Hill finally touched Powell for two runs in the sixth to tie the game, and added two more in the seventh to take the lead for good.

Justin Hall earned the win for the Lions, giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits in six innings of work. Eric Stewart earned the save after working a scoreless seventh. Powell took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits in six and two-thirds innings. He struck out six and walked one.

In the second game, Mars Hill touched Abbey starter David Koppenheffer for three runs in the first before the Cruaders answered with four of their own in the bottom half to grab the lead for good. The Abbey added two more in the third to stretch the lead to 6-3, with two of those runs coming on a Justin Vasquez double that scored McConnell and Ryan Ronda.

Mars Hill cut the lead to one with a pair of runs in the fourth, but a solo home run by Will Breslin in the fourth moved the lead back to two at 7-5, which was the final.

Koppenheffer earned the win, allowing five runs, only two earned, on three hits in three and a thirds innings. Carl Taylor took the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits in three innings.