The Belmont Abbey College Crusaders topped Wingate University 10-7 in Division II baseball action Wednesday night at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Crusaders improve to 37-19 overall, Wingate falls to 20-36.

Freshman outfielder Justin Vasquez was two-for-four with a homer and four RBI to lead the Belmont Abbey attack. Sophomore second baseman Alex Castellanos was three-for-five with a double, triple, homer and two runs scored for the Crusaders. Junior catcher Jay McConnell was four-for-four with an RBI and a run scored.

The Crusaders jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Vasquez got it started with an RBI single. Junior outfielder Tyler McKenzie followed with an RBI groundout. An RBI single from McConnell made it 3-0.

Belmont Abbey added three more runs in the second on a three-run homer from Vasquez, his second of the season, making it 6-0.

An RBI double from freshman first baseman Daniel Kassouf made it 7-0 in the third. The Crusaders added another run in the fourth on a lead-off homer from Castellanos, his 12th of the year, for an eight run lead.

Wingate got on the board in the fifth, with Siega-Riz lining an RBI triple down the right field line, then scoring on an error on the play, cutting the lead to six.

In the seventh, the Abbey added one more, getting a run on a sacrifice fly from freshman infielder Elio Rey, making it 9-7. Belmont Abbey added one more insurance run in the ninth on an RBI single from Rey, making the final 10-7.

Sophomore right-hander Joey Kopp got the win, allowing four runs on four hits in 5.1 innings of work while striking out six. He is 1-0 on the year. Freshman left-hander Cale Rogers took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing four runs on four hits in one inning of work.