The Belmont Abbey baseball team scored five runs in the first three innings, but Mars Hill responded with six unanswered runs to claim a 7-5 win this afternoon at Henderson Field. Mars Hill moves to 8-11 while the Abbey drops to 16-6.

Joey Frabasile, Josh Frazier and Tim Dye all had two hits for the Crusaders, which finished with nine. Dye and Frabasile both drove in two runs, while Chris Vazquez finished with one RBI. The Lions collected ten hits as shortstop Michael Bueker and Adam Lewis both had three hits. Lewis and Michael Brittian were both responsible for six of Mars Hill's seven runs as they each drove in three.

Tyler Stephenson earned the win in four innings of scorless relief, allowing just one hit and striking out four. Joey Kopp, the third of four Abbey pitchers, was saddled with the loss. He allowed two unearned runs on two hits in two innings, fanning two.

The Crusaders opened the game with a four-run first inning on a two-RBI double by Dye, an RBI double from Vazquez and a run-scoring single from Frabasile. The Lions grabbed one back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI groundout by Lewis that scored Bueker, who led off the inning with a single.

Belmont Abbey padded its lead in the third on a leadoff homer by Frabasile to extend the advantage to 5-1, but Mars Hill battled back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three times to slice the Abbey lead to 5-4. A single, a double and a walk loaded the bases for Brittain, who drove all three home with a double to center.

Two innings later, the Lions seized the lead for the first time with three more runs, taking advantage of an Abbey error. Coty Pate led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Brittian drew a walk and Brandon King laid down a sacrifice bunt that was bobbled, loading the bases. A sacrifice fly by Tyler Reboulet brought home Pate to knot the contest at five. Bueker then beat out a bunt single to load the bases for Dalton Hardee. Hardee reached on a fielder's choice when his comebacker forced Brittian out at home. Lewis followed with a single up the middle to score Bueker and King to move Mars Hill ahead 7-5.

The Crusaders threatened in the ninth as Frazier laced a one-out single to right center. Matt Mazzolla came on to pinch hit, and he lifted a fly ball to left that reached the warning track before it was caught. A groundout ended the game.