The Belmont Abbey baseball team lost in a 15-14 slugfest to visiting Concord University this afternoon at Abbey Yard. The Mountain Lions improve to 17-6, while the Crusaders slip to 24-13.

The Abbey led 12-10 heading into the top of the ninth but surrendered five runs. The Abbey scored twice in its half on a two-run homer by Tyler McKenzie, but could not push across another run after it had a runner in scoring position.

Drew Bailey, the fourth of five Mountain Lion pitchers, earned the win after allowing two runs on one hit in three innings. He walked two and struck out one. Brooks Cullen earned the save after allowing two runs on three hits in the ninth inning. Andrew Morton was charged with the loss after yielding five runs, four earned, on five hits in two innings. He struck out one and walked two.

Concord jumped ahead 6-0 in the first inning before the Abbey struck for eight unanswered runs, scoring two in the second and six in the third to claim an 8-5 lead. Concord scored three times in the fourth to tie the game at eight, but the Abbey pushed two across in its half on a two RBI single by Patrick Atwell to reclaim the lead at 10-8.

The Mountain Lions scored one in the fifth and one more in the seventh to knot the game at ten,
but the Crusaders quickly regained the lead with a pair of runs in the seventh on a two-RBI single by Seth Waller.

Neither team scored in the eighth, and the Abbey was three outs away from a win in the top of the ninth, but Concord scored five times in its half, four coming with two outs, to claim a 15-12 lead. McKenzie's homer pulled the Crusaders within one, but a fielder's choice and two flyouts ended the game.

Concord finished with 19 hits and the Abbey totaled 15 as Will Breslin finished 3-4 with two runs scored. McKenzie finished with a pair of hits and four runs batted in.