The Belmont Abbey baseball team dropped the opening game of a four game set with Young Harris College by an 8-6 score in 11 innings this afternoon at Abbey Yard. Young Harris scored two runs in the top of the eighth to knot the game at six and added two more in the top the 11th to earn its first win of the year in four tries. The Abbey is now 4-3.

Belmont Abbey built a 6-4 lead going into the top of the eighth but the Mountain Hawks took advantage of an Abbey error to score twice. Evan Carr led off with a double down the leftfield line and scored from second on an Abbey fielding error off the bat of Zach Bricknell. Mike Medori sacrificed Bricknell to third and scored on a groundout by Tommy Ferguson to deadlock the game at six.

The Crusaders went scoreless in the bottom of the eighth and both teams went down in order in the ninth to force extra innings. Young Harris threatened in the tenth, but a ground ball double play ended the threat. The Crusaders again went down in order in the bottom of the tenth, and Young Harris took the lead for good in the top of the 11th.

Medori led off the 11th with an infield single. He then stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. Ferguson followed with a single to left scoring Medori to give the Mountain Hawks the lead. Josh Rudnik moved Ferguson to third with a single, and scored on a sacrifice bunt by David Atwood.

Down to its final three outs, the Abbey loaded the bases with one out but could not score. Caleb Shore led off with a single. Roberto Sanchez was then hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up one base on a passed ball. Danny Brion came in to pinch hit but struck out looking. Kyle Buchanan then took a pitch off the shoulder to load the bases for Joey Frabasile, who ended the game with a groundout double play.

Tyler Isbell, the fourth and final Young Harris pitcher of the day, earned the win in four innings scoreless relief, allowing just two hits while striking out one and walking none. Joey Kopp took the loss after yielding the winning runs on three hits in an inning of work. He struck out one.

Young Harris finished with 14 hits as Ferguson, Atwood, Carr, Bricknell and Medori all finished with two hits. Ferguson drove in two runs. Sanchez and Frabasile both led the Crusaders with two hits apiece as they finished with nine.