The Belmont Abbey softball team was swept by the visiting Mount Olive College Trojans this afternoon in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader at Crusader Field. The Abbey was edged in game one by a 2-1 score, and fell 8-1 in game two. Mount Olive improves to 14-11-1 overall and 5-1 in Conference Carolinas, while the Abbey falls to 5-17 overall and 2-6 in Conference Carolinas.

In game one, Kayla Short and Sarah Saunders held both offenses at bay through the first four innings before the Trojans grabbed the lead in the top of the fifth by scoring two runs on three hits. Mount Olive loaded the bases on three consecutive singles and scored the first run of the game on a walk by Morgan Whaley that scored Jenny Jackson, who led off the frame with a single. With the bases still loaded, Short uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Katie Nalley to score without a play to up the advantage to 2-0.

Belmont Abbey cut the lead in half in the sixth as Dani Beres led off with a double to center, and after a strikeout, Short brought her home with a double to right center to trim the margin to 2-1, which would be the final.

Saunders earned the win after allowing one run on five hits in six innings, striking out three. Kristin Ware worked a perfect ninth inning to earn the save. Short was saddled with the loss after yielding two runs on five hits in five innings, striking out two.

Mount Olive finished with six hits and the Abbey totaled five, with Beres leading the way with two.

In the nightcap, the Trojans scored the first six runs of the contest, taking advantage of two Abbey errors to score twice in the first. They added one more in the second, two more in the third and one in the sixth to grab an 8-0 lead after six innings.

Belmont Abbey staved off the mercy rule in the sixth inning, as Carrie Markham ripped a one out single to right, and after a strikeout by Short for the second out, Tara Ruebel blasted a double to left, allowing Markham to score easily from first for the final run of the game.

Ware earned the win in a complete game effort, fanning four and giving up one run on nine hits. Markham took the loss after allowing five runs, two earned, on eight hits in two and one-thirds innings. Mount Olive finished with 17 hits and the Abbey recorded nine as Gina Antonucci led the way with four.