The Belmont Abbey baseball team split a Conference Carolinas doubleheader at Pfeiffer this afternoon, dropping the opener 2-1 before rallying to win game two 2-1. The Abbey is now 8-9 overall and 3-4 in Conference Carolinas, while Pfeiffer improves to 10-4-1 overall and 1-1 in Conference Carolinas.

In the opener, the Falcons struck first with a run in the bottom of the third, but the Abbey matched it in the seventh as Tyler McKenzie led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a wild throw. He later scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at one.

Pfeiffer would push across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch to break the tie. The Abbey went down in order in the ninth. Ben Beard earned the win after allowing an unearned run on one hit in seven ininngs. He struck out 13 and walked two. Tyler Powell was charged with the loss. He gave up two runs on four hits, striking out six, in seven and one-thirds innings. Andrew Oliver earned the save after working a perfect ninth inning.

In the seven inning nightcap, the Crusaders scored a pair of unanswered runs after Pfeiffer drew first blood with a run in the bottom of the first, plating one in the second inning and another in the third. A solo homer by Danny Brion knotted the game at one, and a sacrifice fly by Roland Rodriguez that scored Patrick Atwell proved to be the winning run.

Michael Raymond earned the win after giving up one run on just two hits in six and one-thirds innings. Zach Horne earned the save after recording the final two outs of the game. Jonathan McDaniel took the loss, giving up both runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out six.