The Belmont Abbey baseball team erased a 7-4 lead by scoring five runs in the bottom of the eighth, all with two outs, but Erskine responded with three runs, all with two outs, in the top of the ninth as the 20th-ranked Flying Fleet took game one of a three-game Conference Carolinas series with 10-9 win over the Crusaders this afternoon at Abbey Yard. Erskine improves to 7-1 and 1-0 in Conference Carolinas, while the Abbey, which had its four game winning streak snapped, falls to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in Conference Carolinas.

Trailing 7-4 heading into the bottom half of the eighth, Roland Rodriguez ripped a one out double. After a lineout by Justin Baxley, Tyler McKenzie and Daniel Kassouf both reached on a hit by pitch and a walk, respectively, to load the bases for Carlos Vasquez, who was also hit by a pitch to plate Rodriguez and cut the lead to 7-5. Chris Vazquez followed by giving the Abbey its first lead of the game as he ripped his first career grand slam down the left field line to put the Crusaders ahead 9-7.

Down to its final two outs, Abbey closer Jordan Cudney retired the first two batters of the inning on a flyout and a pop up, but then allowed a double and a single. Bryan Fogle followed by blasting a 1-1 offering over the leftfield wall to allow the Flying Fleet to reclaim the lead at 10-9.

The Crusaders would put the tying run at second base in the bottom half of the inning, as Patrick Atwell lined a one out, opposite field double to left, but the game ended on a strikeout and a flyout.

Erskine scored the game's first three runs in the top of the first on a three run shot by Chas Anthony homer, but the Abbey would close to within 3-2 in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Vazquez and a double by Josh Frazier. The Flying Fleet added one more in the fourth and two more in the sixth to claim a 6-2 lead, but the Crusaders would chip away at that advantage by scoring two in the sixth on a Justin Vasquez two run blast. Erskine would get one back on an RBI single by Keith Hill in the seventh to push the lead to 7-4 before the big ninth inning for both teams.

Erick Guest earned the win after retiring the only batter he faced, getting a groundout to end the eighth. Russell Reid earned the save, allowing Atwell's double in the ninth. Cudney was saddled with the loss after giving up the homer to Fogle.

The Abbey finished with 12 hits but left ten men on base. Rodriguez finished with three hits, while four other players finished with a pair each. Erskine recorded ten hits as three players led the way with two each.