The Belmont Abbey baseball team crushed 32 hits including six homers en route to a 23-1 & 12-4 Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader sweep at St. Andrews Presbyterian Saturday afternoon at Clark Field. The Crusaders locked up their sixth straight league series win to remain on top of the conference standings with a 22-18 overall and 13-5 league record. The Knights fall to 5-30 and 3-11 as their current skid is extended to 14 games.

Justin Baxley and sophomores Chris Vazquez and Daniel Kassouf all had two blasts apiece for the Abbey. Baxley had a huge day going 6-for-7 with nine RBI. Chris Vazquez followed with four hits and seven RBI. Kassouf is attempting to stay the league leader in home runs with his 15th and 16th home runs of the year.

In the opener, Belmont Abbey had 13 consecutive batters reach base safely in a 12-run third inning to take control of the first game before pulling away to the 22-run victory.

Vazquez hit as solo home run to lead off the second inning to start the Crusader scoring that included runs in six different frames. Vazquez highlighted the big third inning with a three-run homer, his second straight home run to straightaway centerfield. Vazquez added a two-run double in the fifth to cap his 4-for-6 performance with six RBI.

All 12 Crusaders batters had a hit in the opener as the Abbey scored 24 runs on 23 hits. Kassouf and sophomore Justin Vasquez both collected three hits. Kassouf had four RBI and Justin Vasquez supplied a two-run double in the third. Baxley ripped his first home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the seventh while totaling three RBI. Freshman Caleb Shore capped the visitors scoring with a bases-loaded, three-run double in the ninth.

The Knights were held to just five hits and were in danger of being shut out for the first time this season until Kyle Norris slugged a solo home run to lead off the ninth. Junior Samson Williams had SAPC's only other extra base hit with a double in the sixth.

Sophomore starter Tyler Powell tossed seven scoreless innings for his fifth win of the season. Powell (5-2) only scattered three hits while striking out six.

In the nightcap, Kyle Norris hit a three-run homer in the third inning to give St. Andrews a 3-1 lead but Belmont Abbey rallied back with 11 runs over the next three innings to complete the sweep with an eight-run victory in the nightcap.

Kassouf gave the Crusaders an early one-run advantage with a solo blast in the top of the third before Norris answered with his three-run shot over the right field fence. The Abbey tied up the contest with two runs in the fourth before adding three unearned runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. The Crusaders then pulled away with a big six-run outburst in the sixth.

Baxley was 4-for-4 with seven RBI. Baxley had a pair of doubles including a three-run two-bagger in the fifth before capping his monstrous game with a grand slam to left in the sixth. Baxley had half of the Crusaders eight hits while senior Tyler McKenzie had two base hits.

Junior Jeremy Fisher had two of the Knights six hits. Norris scored two of SAPC's four runs after walking in the sixth and eventually scoring on a fielder's choice by freshman Michael Ficarro.

Senior Travis Lee started both games for the Knights but was tagged with the loss both times. Senior counterpart Michael Raymond picked up the win allowing three runs on five hits over five innings.