The third-seeded Belmont Abbey baseball team dropped the opening game of the Conference Carolinas Tournament 6-4 to the fourth-seeded Pfeiffer University Falcons this afternoon at Fleming Stadium. This was the sixth meeting between the two schools this year. The Abbey had won the previous five contests.

Pfeiffer (21-26) advances to face the winner of the Limestone/Erskine game Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Abbey (29-16) will play the winner of the Mount Olive/Barton contest Friday at 3:00 p.m.

The first two-and-a-half innings were scoreless as the two teams combined for just one hit until the Crusaders jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the third. Roberto Sanchez lined a one out single to left, and after a flyout, moved to second on a walk to Tim Dye, and scored on a Joey Frabasile single to left. The Abbey threatened to add another, loading the bases, but a strikeout ended the inning.

Pfeiffer scored the next five runs, plating two in the fourth and three more in the fifth, to storm out to a 5-1 lead. The Falcons added another in the eighth on a Crusader error to widen the gap to 6-1, but the Abbey mounted a charge in the bottom of the frame.

After a leadoff single by Dye, Frabasile crushed a homer down the leftfield line to close the Falcons lead to 6-3. After a pitching change, Chris Vazquez inched the Crusaders closer with a solo shot to left. The next two batters were retired, but Josh Frazier kept the inning alive with a single to bring the tying run to the plate, but a groundout expired the inning.

Pfeiffer went down in order in the top of the ninth to leave the Abbey down two runs entering its final at bat. Sanchez opened the frame with a single and moved to second on a groundout by Justin Vasquez. The game ended on a lineout by Dye and a strikeout by Frabasile.

Eric Shuford evened his record to 4-4 after allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out nine. He left the game after giving up Frabasile's homer in the eighth. Luke Wilhelm nailed down his fifth save after working the final two innings, surrendering one run, on Vazquez's homer, on three hits in two innings. He fanned two and did not issue a walk. Abbey starter Cody Stull, who did not give up a hit until the fourth, gave up five runs, four earned, on six hits in four and two-thirds innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.

The Abbey finished with nine hits but had two costly errors in the field. Sanchez and Frabasile both paced the Crusaders with two hits apiece. Frabasile drove in three runs. Jacob Yates led the Falcons with three hits as they totaled eight on the afternoon.