The Belmont Abbey softball team split its doubleheader with the visiting Brevard College Tornados this afternoon, dropping the opener 5-3 before rallying to win game two 6-3. The Abbey is now 6-20, while Brevard is 11-7.

In the opener, Brevard jumped ahead 2-0 after scoring single runs in the first and second, but the Abbey tied the game in the third on one swing of the bat. Katie Childers drew a one out walk, and after a pair of flyouts, Dani Beres blasted a homer to left to knot the game at two.

The Tornados responded with two in the fifth to re-take the lead at 4-2, but the Crusaders would inch back to within a run in the sixth as Tara Ruebel blasted a leadoff homer to trim the lead to 4-3, but Brevard countered with a leadoff homer of their own in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 5-3.

Belmont Abbey threatened in the last of the seventh, putting the tying runs on with no outs, but a fielder's choice and a game ending double play wiped out the threat.

Jennifer Gift earned the win after allowing three runs on four hits in a complete game effort. She walked five and struck out four. Carrie Markham took the loss. She allowed four runs on eight hits in four and one-thirds innings.

Game two started out much like the first, as Brevard took a 2-0 lead by scoring two in the first, but the Abbey scored four unanswered runs, starting with two in the bottom of the second, getting a two-RBI double by Danielle Puckett that brought home Markham and Alysia Stewart.

The Crusaders grabbed the lead for good with two runs in the fifth, using an RBI single by Stewart and a bases loaded walk to Michelle Primm to give the Abbey a 4-2 lead.

Brevard cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth, but the Abbey put the game away for good in the bottom half, getting a leadoff single by Katie Hobbs, followed by a walk to Beres. After a flyout, Kayla Short singled home Hobbs, which was followed by a single by Stewart that brought home Beres to push the lead to 6-3, which was the final.

Short earned the win after allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits in five and two-thirds innings, fanning seven. Liz Houser took the loss after yielding four runs on eight hits in four and one-thirds innings. Puckett picked up the save after holding Brevard scoreless over the final inning and a third, striking out two.