Lenoir-Rhyne erased a 6-5 deficit by scoring four unanswered runs, two each in the seventh and eighth, to earn a 9-6 win this afternoon at Abbey Yard. Lenoir-Rhyne moves to 15-17, while the Abbey drops to 14-19.

The Bears jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the second as Alex Cooks led off with a double and scored on a single by Brian Dice. Dice moved to third on a fielding error and scored on a single by Chris LaVenia.

L-R moved its lead to 3-0 with a run in the top of the fourth with a manufactured run. Cooks led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Dice plated him brought him home with a sacrifice fly.

The lead was short lived as the Crusaders exploded for four runs in the bottom of the inning. Justin Baxley and Roland Rodriguez opened the inning with a double and a single, respectively. Spencer Sobol followed with a double that scored Baxley and moved Rodriguez to third. Rodriguez scored on a groundout by Daniel Torrente to close the gap to 3-2. After Sobol was cut down at third on a fielder's choice, Matt Mazzolla blasted a two-run homer to give the Abbey at 4-3 lead.

The Bears regained the lead two innings later on a two-run homer by Cooks, but the Crusaders plated the equalizer in the bottom of the frame, getting a sacrifice fly from Torrente that scored Rodriguez, who led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a groundout.

One inning later, the Abbey regained the lead as Jamie Bolton, pinch running for Mazzolla, who singled, moved to second on an error and to third on a fielder's choice. Roberto Sanchez brought him home when he beat the throw on a double play attempt.

In the eighth, the Bears would score twice to claim the lead for good. Stephen Andrews led off with a solo homer to knot the game at six, and pinch hitter Stephen Arcieri singled home Cooks for the go-ahead run.

The Abbey went down in order in the eighth, and the Bears scored two insurance runs in the ninth as Andrews blasted a two-run shot to push the lead to 4-2. Down to its final three outs, the Abbey struck out three times as the game ended there.

Brian Chandler earned the win in relief of Chad Ritch. Chandler allowed an unearned run on one hit in two innings, fanning one. Drew Hardee took the loss after yielding two runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Lenoir-Rhyne finished with 12 hits as Cooks finished four for four with four runs scored. Andrews was two for three, both of his hits home runs, with three RBI. Dice also finished two for three with three RBI.

Mazzolla and Rodriguez led the Abbey with two hits apiece as the Crusaders finished with eight.