Top-seeded Belmont Abbey College scored 15 runs on 13 hits and eight walks to stay alive in the 2009 Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament with a 15-5 victory over host and No. 3 seed Barton College on Saturday afternoon at historic Fleming Stadium.

The Crusaders (28-21) will play No. 7 seed Anderson University in another elimination game on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. for the right to face No. 4 seed Erskine College in the championship game on Sunday.

The Bulldogs, who are currently ranked No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Poll, exit the tournament with a 30-17 overall ledger.

The top five batters in Barton's lineup all collected two hits, including Wesley Francis, Zach Boyette, Jonathan Nichols, Ryan McCleney, and Ryan Daughtry, but the Bulldogs left 11 runners on base. Daughtry drove in a team-high two RBI. Boyette and Aaron Watkins both ripped a double for the Bulldogs' only extra-base knocks.

The Crusaders, who are currently ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Southeast Regional Poll, were led offensively by Daniel Kassouf with two home runs and four RBI. Kassouf has gone deep three times in the conference tourney to increase his season total to 20 homers.

Spencer Sobol and Patrick Atwell also went deep for the Abbey. Sobol, Atwell, Justin Vasquez, and Carlos Vasquez all drove in two runs for the Crusaders.

John Merritt (2-1) picked up the win in the start allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings of work. Merritt had a game-high six strikeouts. Jordan Cudney tossed 3 1/3 innings of effective relief to earn his seventh save of the season.

Patrick Sherrell took the loss giving up six runs in 2 1/3.

Belmont Abbey broke a 2-2 tie with six runs in the fourth and continued to build on its lead seven more runs over the final three frames.