Belmont Abbey senior starting pitcher Steven Thiele held Coker to just five hits over eight scoreless innings, fanning seven, as the Crusaders baseball team opened Conference Carolinas play with a 9-0 shutout over the visiting Coker Cobras. The Abbey moves to 8-4 and 1-0, whlie Coker drops to 5-6 and 0-1 in conference play.

The Crusaders gave Thiele all the runs he would need in the second inning, scoring a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly by Emilio Pagan, and using a Cobras throwing error to score the other, as Kyle Buchanan crossed the plate for the second run.

Two inings later the lead grew to 5-0, as Pagan scored on a bases loaded walk, and Stephen Mullis scored on a failed pickoff attempt. On the next play, Caleb Shore scored from third on a balk.

In the fifth the Abbey scored two more, getting a sacrifice fly from Mullis and an RBI single by Matt Mazzolla that plated Gabby Amor, who led off with a walk.

The Crusaders closed the scoring in the eighth. Pagan led off with a single to right, stole second, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch.

Thiele earned the win, his first, as he scattered five hits over eight scoreless innings, striking out seven. Coker starter Tyler Witzel took the loss as he gave up five runs, only one earned, in four innings, striking out four and walking three. He yielded five hits.

Ian Vazquez led the Crusaders with three hits in five at bats. He was the only player in the game to record more than one. The Crusaders finished with nine hits.