The Belmont Abbey baseball team extended its winning streak to nine games with an 8-5 defeat of visiting Lander University this afternoon at Alumni Field. The Crusaders improve to 20-8 overall, while Lander falls to 10-12.

John Merritt, the second of five Abbey pitchers, earned the win after working one scoreless inning, surrendering a pair of hits and striking out two. Andy Quick took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits in just three batters faced.

Lander opened the scoring with a run in the second inning, but the Abbey charged ahead with four runs in its half of the inning, as shortstop Carlos Vasquez doubled home Seth Waller and Alex Castellanos, who both singled to open the inning. Catcher Jay McConnell brought home Vasquez and Castellanos on a single to left to widen the lead to 4-1.

The Bearcats tied the game at four with three runs in the top of the third, as TJ Guinan ripped a two-RBI single, and later scored on a wild pitch.

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the fifth when the Crusaders surged ahead for good, scoring a pair of runs to claim a lead they would never lose. Will Breslin led off with a walk, moved to second on a single to left by Waller, and scored on a double to center by Castellanos. After a pitching change, Vasquez scored Waller with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Abbey a 6-4 lead.

The Crusaders pushed one more across in the seventh as Derek Swilley singled home McConnell, who reached on a one-out double to center.

Lander cut the lead to 7-5 with an unearned run in its half of the eighth, but the Crusaders matched it in their half as Vasquez singled home Castellanos. Morton did not allow a run in the ninth to earn the save.

The Abbey banged out 13 hits as Vasquez finished 2-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Waller, Castellanos and McConnell all had a pair of hits. McConnell and Swilley each drove in two runs.

Lander was led by Brooks Arnette's 3-5 day, while Guinan drove in a pair of runs.