The Belmont Abbey baseball team gained a split in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader with visiting Pfeiffer this afternoon, taking the opener 19-0 before falling 8-7 in eight innings in the second game. The Abbey is now 12-8 overall and 5-3 in Conference Carolinas, while the Falcons are now 12-10 overall and 4-4 in Conference Carolinas.

In the opener, the Abbey broke open a 4-0 lead by scoring 11 times in the fifth inning, as first baseman Will Breslin homered twice in the frame.

The story of the game was Andy Helms, who tossed a complete game four-hit shutout, striking out seven and walking just one. He allowed just one hit through five and one-thirds innings and retired the side in order twice. He evens his record to 2-2. Jonathan McDaniel, the first of seven Falcons pitchers, took the loss after allowing seven runs on nine hits in four and one-thirds innings, striking out three.

The Crusaders scored 19 runs on 20 hits as third baseman Derek Swilley drove in seven runs as he finished 3-5, including a three-run homer in the fourth, a two-RBI single in the fifth and two-RBI double in the seventh. Breslin finished 3-6 with five runs batted in, and Patrick Atwell also finished 3-6.

In the second game, the Abbey opened up a 5-0 lead after scoring three in the first and two more in the second, using a two-RBI double by Breslin in the second to push the lead to 5-0.

Starting pitcher Michael Raymond held the Falcons in check, retiring the first eight batters he faced and holding them hitless through three and one-thirds innings, until the Falcons exploded for six runs in the fourth, all with two outs. A double, a walk and a home run cut the lead to 5-3, and after an error allowed another run to score, Zach Pou singled home a pair of runs to give Pfeiffer a 6-5 lead.

The lead was short-lived, as the Crusaders scored one in their half to knot the game at six, using a Carlos Vasquez two out single to left center that scored Atwell to tie the game.

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the sixth when Waller brought home Atwell for the go-ahead run. In the top of the seventh, the first two Falcons were retired before centerfielder Shawn Coke laced a solo homer down the line in left to send the game into extra innings.

Pfeiffer pushed the winning run across in the eighth, as the Abbey went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Andrew Oliver took the win as he allowed one run on one hit in three-innings of work. Andrew Morton took the loss after allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits in four and one-thirds innings.

The rubber game of the series is tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.