The Belmont Abbey baseball team was swept in a doubleheader by the visiting Limestone Saints in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader. The Saints took game one 8-2 and staved off a late Abbey rally in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 5-3 win in the nightcap. Limestone improves to 26-14 overall and 13-6 in Conference Carolinas, while the Abbey drops to 29-14 overall and 13-5 in Conference Carolinas.

In game one, the Saints scored the first seven runs of the game through the opening five innings, plating two in the first and second, one in the third and two more in the fifth.
In the first, catcher Joe Maloney blasted a two run homer, the first of his four home runs in the doubleheader to put the Saints ahead 2-0.

One inning later, Limestone used RBI singles from Josh Troutman and David Christy to widen the gap to 4-0. In the third the lead grew to 5-0 as Maloney reached on a leadoff error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and to third on a flyout. Designated Hitter Jeremy Peed scored him on an infield single.

After a solo homer by Maloney in the fifth, the Crusaders got one back in the bottom of the inning, as John Cucchiarella worked a bases loaded walk that scored JoeyFrabasile. Frabasile earlier singled to right field.

The Saints got it right back in the top of the sixth as Christy singled home Zach Howard, who reached on an error. His unearned run extended the Limestone lead to 8-1.
Belmont Abbey scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Tim Dye lined a two-out single to right center, moved to second on a single by Frabasile and to third when Chris Vazquez was hit by a pitch. Kyle Buchanan drew a bases loaded walk to score Dye.

Limestone finished with nine hits as Maloney went two for four with four RBI. Christy collected three hits and two RBI.

Frabasile, Vazquez and Matt Mazzolla all had two hits as the Crusaders totaled eight. Matt Crisp picked up the win. The first of five Saints pitchers, Crisp gave up one run on five hits in four and two-thirds innings, striking out two and walking six. Steven Thiele suffered his second loss of the year after yielding seven runs, six earned, on seven hits in five innings. He fanned five and walked a pair.

In the seven inning nightcap, the Saints moved ahead 5-0 after six innings, starting with one run in the second inning on a leadoff homer by Maloney. In the third the lead moved to 2-0 as Christy doubled home Howard, who led off the inning with an infield single.

In the fourth, Maloney struck again, clubbing his fourth homer of the day, this one leading off the frame to widen the gap to 3-0.

In the sixth the Saints struck for two runs. Chad Balderman led off with a homer to left, which was followed by Jake Rierson getting hit by a pitch. Rierson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a pitching change, Howard roped a double down the left field line, scoring Rierson to push the lead to 5-0.

The Crusaders, which had just two hits through six innings, came alive in the seventh to bring the winning run to the plate. The first two batters were retired, and Caleb Shore kept the game alive with a single. A walk to Cucchiarella and a single by Roberto Sanchez scored Shore for the Abbey's first run and forced a Limestone pitching change. Justin Vasquez kept the rally going with an opposite field single through the left side, bringing home Cucchiarella. Dye followed with the same, this one scoring Sanchez to chop the lead to 5-3. Frabasile came to the plate representing the winning run, but he struck out swinging to end the game.

Cameron Ward earned the win after holding the Abbey to three runs on four hits in six and two-thirds innings. He held the Crusaders hitless through four innings. Cameron Culp picked up the save. He gave up two hits and no runs in the last third of an inning. He struck out one. Abbey starter Cody Stull was charged with the loss. He allowed five runs on six hits in five and one-thirds innings.