The Belmont Abbey softball team dropped both games of its home opening doubleheader to the visiting UNC Pembroke Braves by scores of 5-1 and 5-0 this afternoon at Crusader Field. UNC Pembroke improves to 2-7, while the Crusaders drop to 0-4.

"Today was disappointing," Head Coach Ellie Hanover said. "The girls know that they have to be better out there. I hope we will regroup quickly and play some quality ball tomorrow."

In game one, the Crusaders jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the third, rapping out three hits. Savannah Carpenter led off with a single but was negated when Chelsea Elmore reached on a fielder's choice groundout. Elmore scored all the way from first on Aleisha Peek's stinging double to the gap in left center. Amber Faust followed with a single to left, but Peek was cut down at the plate for the second out. A strikeout ended the inning.

Nikki Faust kept the Braves hitless through the first three and one-thirds innings as she retired nine of the first ten batters she faced before giving up a leadoff single in the top of the fourth. She kept the Braves off of the board until the fifth inning until a costly error led to four of the Braves five runs. Faust issued a leadoff walk, and then Kellie Van Dyke hit a routine fly ball to center field, but Peek lost the ball in the sun and the ball dropped right in front of her, allowing UNC Pembroke to load the bases. The Braves tied the game on a squeeze bunt by Ashley Harrell, followed by an infield single by Morgan Davis that plated Van Dyke for the go-ahead run. Two straight singles, the first of which drove in a run, and an intentional walk loaded the bases again for Kristen Hobbs, whose fly ball to left was deep enough to score Brea Hartley and extend the lead to 4-1.

UNC Pembroke capped off the scoring one inning later as Hartley doubled home Van Dyke, who led off with a double.

Faust was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs, only two earned, on four hits in four and one-thirds innings. She struck out one. Braves starter Starr Gilley went the distance, giving up one run on four hits, fanning three. Hartley and Holly Berry both finished with two hits as UNC Pembroke recorded eight. Amber Faust finished with two hits to lead the Crusaders, which finished with four.

In game two, the Braves scored all of their runs in the first and last innings, starting with four in the top of the first as they sent ten batters to the plate. Berry worked a one out walk and moved to third on a double by Kaytee Wilson. Hobbs followed with a bloop single down the right field line, scoring Berry. Hobbs was cut down trying to stretch the play into a double. The Braves next batter, Megan Hillard hit a routine grounder to third and it appeared that the Crusaders would get out of the inning, but the throw sailed over the head of Kelly Schweizer, allowing Wilson to score and Hillard to move to second. With the inning extended, Van Dyke singled to center, moving Hillard to third. Karlee Wilson brought home Hillard with a single to right that prompted a Crusader pitching change. Harrell was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and a walk to Davis brought home the fourth run of the inning. A lineout ended the inning.

The Braves tacked on the final run in the seventh as Harrell doubled to left center, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Hartley.

Carpenter took the loss after giving up four runs, only one earned, on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Natalie Kelmann picked up the win after limiting the Abbey to just three hits over five scoreless innings, fanning four and walking two.

Hobbs and Harrell led the Braves with two hits apiece as UNC Pembroke totaled eight. Four different Crusaders had lone hits apiece.

Game One Box
Game Two Box