The Belmont Abbey softball team suffered two extra inning losses to the visiting Chowan Hawks, falling 5-3 in nine innings in game one, and losing game two 8-5 in eight innings. The Hawks improve to 29-17, while the Abbey falls to 14-26.

In the opener, the Crusaders jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the third, as Chelsea Elmore laced a one out single to center, was sacrificed to second by Sami Michaelis and scored on Carol-Anne Sherrill's single to left center.

Chowan responded in the fifth, scoring twice on a sacrifice fly and an Abbey throwing error on a double steal to move ahead 2-1. The Crusaders rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Sherrill drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on a groundout, and scored on a single to center by Kinsey McClure.

The Hawks threatened to score in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs, but a groundout ended the threat. Likewise, the Abbey had a chance to score the winning run in the bottom of the frame, as they it loaded the bases with two outs, but Chowan escaped with a groundout to the pitcher.

Neither team scored in the eighth, and Chowan scored three times on five hits in the top of the ninth to open up a 5-3 lead. The Abbey only scored once in the bottom of the ninth, as Elmore beat out an infield single that scored Smart, who led off the inning placed on second.

Christie Wright picked up the win in a complete game effort, striking out ten. She allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits. Emily Self took the loss in relief of Michaelis. Self allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in two and one-thirds innings, striking out one.

In game two, the Crusaders struck first in the bottom of the second as Smart lifted a soft blooper that struck just inside the right field line, scoring Kelsey Spangler, who reached on a one out single. Chowan got it back in the third to tie the game at one, but the Crusaders answered that with one of its own in the fourth as Smart singled up the middle, bringing home Spangler, who walked earlier.

Chowan erased its deficit in the sixth by plating three runs to move ahead 4-2, but the Abbey responded with two of its own in the bottom of the frame. Spangler scored Elmore on a sacrifice fly, and a double by Smart scored Alysia Stewart, who singled earlier.

Neither team scored in the seventh, and Chowan scored the winning runs in the top of the eighth by scoring four runs on four hits, two of them home runs, to move ahead 8-4.

The Abbey brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the frame, but it could score only one run as Becca Rothrock scored Spangler. Down 8-5, the Crusaders put runners on second and third with one out, but an out at home on a wild pitch, and a groundout ended the game.

Wright earned the win for the second game in a row, giving up an unearned run on five hits in two and one-thirds innings. Lacey Wildeboer earned the save, working the final two-thirds of the inning. Michaelis took the loss after giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits in one inning.