The Belmont Abbey softball team split a doubleheader with the visiting Mars Hill Lions this afternoon at Crusader Field. The Abbey dropped the first game 2-0 and won the second game 6-5, taking advantage of a Mars Hill throwing error to score the winning run. The Abbey is now 4-2, and Mars Hill is 1-1.

"It was an ugly win but we will take it," Head Coach Ellie Hanover said. "We struggeld most of the day, but in the end we found a way to win. We are a young, inexperienced team and it was good to be in some pressure type situations today. Mars Hill is a very good hitting team and we are happy to walk away with a split today. Carol-Anne just kept us in the game and she was pretty beat up throughout the game. She is a tough kid and I'm really proud of herWe will get back out on the field tomorrow and continue to work hard and strive for our goal of being better than we were yesterday."

The first game was dominated by both pitchers, as Mars Hill's Tara West and Kim Anders held both offenses scoreless for five innings before the Lions scored the only two runs of the game in the top of the sixth as shortstop Amanda McArthur singled home Anna James and Ashley Seawell.

West earned the win after allowing just one hit and striking out three in seven innings. Anders took the loss. She gave up two runs on seven hits, striking out seven.

In game two, Mars Hill jumped ahead 1-0 in the third as Seawell singled home Rebekah Huff, and it would add one more in the fourth on a Taylor Morris single that plated James.

The lead was short lived as the Crusaders scored three times in the bottom of the inning to pull ahead 3-2. Tara Ruebel brought home Carol-Anne Sherill on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, and Sami Michaelis singled home Candace Cady and Megan Riveros.

Mars Hill answered with three runs of its own in the top of the fifth to re-take the lead at 5-3, but it would not score again. The Crusaders pulled to within one in the bottom of the sixth as Alysia Stewart reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a groundout and scored when Michaelis's grounder was overthrown, cutting the Lions lead to 5-4.

Michaelis came in to pitch the top of the seventh and set the Lions down in order, and the Abbey won the game in the bottom of the inning. Sherrill tied the game at five with an opposite field shot to right. Riveros followed with a walk and Cady moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ruebel moved her to third with a single to right, and Stewart was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.

Smart came to plate and smacked a grounder back to the pitcher, Morris, who threw home to force Riveros at the plate, but catcher Kendra Reeder's throw to first to nab Smart for a potential double play sailed into right, allowing Ruebel to score the winning run.

Michaelis earned the win after retiring the side in order in the seventh. Morris took the loss after giving up three runs, one earned, on five hits in two and two-thirds innings.