The Belmont Abbey baseball team dropped both games of its 2009 season-opening doubleheader to the visiting Mars Hill Lions this afternoon, falling 9-1 in the opener and 4-3 in the nightcap. Both games were seven inning contests and served as the season openers for both teams.

In game one, the Lions scored all nine of their runs in the first three innings, plating two in the first, three in the second and four in the fourth. Mike Kitt drove in six of those runs on a two-run homer in the first and a grand slam in the third. The Abbey scored its run in the fourth as Spencer Sobol ripped double down the left field line and scored on an opposite field single to right by Josh Frazier for the only Crusader run.

Mars Hill starter Justin Hill earned the win after allowing one run on five hits in six innings, while striking out nine. Abbey starter Tyler Powell was charged with the loss after yielding five runs, four earned, on six hits in two innings. He struck out three and walked one.

The second game was a much closer contest as the Abbey jumped ahead 2-1 in the third, answering the Lions run with two of its own on a Roland Rodriguez double to left center, scoring Frazier and Patrick Atwell.

The Lions tied the game right back up in the fourth on a Matt Oleski homer, and surged ahead for good with two runs in the fifth on a Brian Williams double down the leftfield line, scoring Corry DiBiase and Mike Dobre.

That was all of the scoring until the bottom of the seventh when a Crusader rally just fell short, but started out promising. Sobol cut the lead to 4-2 with a one out solo homer. After a flyout, Frazier beat out an infield single to second base, followed by an Atwell single to right center which moved Frazier to third. After a pitching change, Rodriguez laced a grounder into the hole between the shorstop and third base, where Lions shortstop Devin Presnell moved to his right and fired a throw that just beat Atwell at the bag for the forceout to end the game.

Alex Britt earned the win after allowing two runs on four hits in five and two-thirds innings of work, striking out five and walking one. Thomas White earned the save after recording the final out of the game. Michael Raymond was charged with the loss after giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits in five innings. He fanned four and walked a pair.