The Belmont Abbey baseball team closed out its regular season by splitting a doubleheader with the visiting Newberry College Indians this afternoon at Abbey Yard, losing the first game 4-1 and winning the second 10-6 on catcher Jay McConnell's walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Abbey posted its 40th win, setting a new school record for most in a season as it improves to 40-22.

In game one, the Indians scored the only runs they would need in the second, using a two-RBI double by Phillip Bartz and an RBI double by Scott Horvath to build a 3-0 lead. The Crusaders cut the lead to 3-1 on a solo homer by catcher Chris Vazquez, but Newberry answered with a run in the fifth on a Jovan Rohena double to push the lead to 4-1, which was the final.

Josh McElwee earned the win, holding the Abbey to just one run on three hits, holding the Crusaders to one hit until the bottom of the seventh and last inning. He struck out nine and walked two. Andy Helms took the loss after giving up four runs on six hits in seven innings.

Game two featured more offense, as the two teams combined for 16 runs on 26 hits. After a scoreless first inning, Newberry jumped ahead 1-0 in the second, but the Abbey matched it when McConnell scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at one. After Newberry jumped ahead 2-1 in the third, the Crusaders plated two in their half as Justin Vasquez ripped a two-run homer to right to give the Abbey a 3-2 lead.

Both teams scored twice in the fourth, and the Indians added two more in the fifth to hold a 6-5 lead, but it owuld be the last runs they would score on the afternoon. The Crusaders scored once in the sixth to knot the game at six, as Will Breslin ripped a one out double to right and scored on a single to center by Tyler McKenzie.

Neither team scored in the seventh, forcing extra innings, and the Abbey scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to post the 40th win of the year. Breslin led off with a double to right. After a groundout and an intentional walk to Vasquez, Waller loaded the bases when he blooped a single to left. McConnell followed with a long, towering homer to left center for the walk-off 10-6 win.

Trey Summerlin earned the win in his 100th career appearance, retiring every batter he faced in the final one and one-thirds innings. Gary Hersey took the loss after allowing the winning runs to score in the eighth inning. He allowed four runs on three hits in two innings.