Trailing 13-5 heading into the top of the ninth, the Belmont Abbey baseball team scored five runs to pull within three runs, but Charlotte ended the threat with no more damage as the 49ers outlasted the Abbey 13-10 this evening. Charlotte, which entered the week receiving votes in several national top 25 polls, is now 11-4, while the Crusaders fall to 14-16.

The Crusaders got on the board first with two runs in the second inning, started by a solo home run from Justin Vasquez, his fifth of the season, off of Charlotte starter Tyler Pilkington. Belmont Abbey then hit a pair of doubles, to left by Chris Vazquez, and the second by Roland Rodriguez, which plated Vazquez.

Charlotte then batted around to score the nine runs in the third on eight hits and a pair of Abbey errors. Charlotte scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 13-4 before the Crusaders made their comeback bid. A lone run in the seventh came on a double play, and a five-run ninth inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double by Tyler McKenzie, a two-RBI single by Spencer Sobol, and an RBI single by Daniel Kassouf, put the game within reach for the Crusaders.

Charlotte closer Sam Pierce was needed in the ninth to close the game out and record the save, his third of the season. Pierce struck out two and gave up a pair of hits. McKenzie and Kassouf had three hits each for the Crusaders.

John Merritt took his first loss of the season (0-1). He gave up eight runs in 2.1 innings on six hits and four walks. Pilkington earned his first collegiate win by lasting five innings, scattering eight hits and a walk, with a pair of strikeouts. Two of the four runs charged to him were earned.