The Belmont Abbey baseball team scored the final three runs of the game after yielding a first inning run to secure a 3-1 win over the visiting Lenoir-Rhyne Bears this afternoon at Abbey Yard. The victory moves the Abbey's record to 4-1, while the Bears drop to 1-4. The two teams will meet again tomorrow in Hickory.

Lenoir-Rhyne jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first after its first two batters were retired. Stephan Arcieri doubled to left and scored on Rai Robinson's single back through the box to put the Bears ahead 1-0, but that would be the only L-R run of the game.

The Crusaders knotted the contest in the bottom of the fourth as Gabby Amor led off with a single and Justin Vasquez was hit by a pitch. Stephen Mullis lifted a long flyball to center, deep enough to move Amor to third. After Vasquez was picked off, Kyle Buchanan drew a walk, and Emilio Pagan tied the game with a single to center.

One inning later, the Abbey jumped ahead for good as it loaded the bases with nobody out on a pair of walks and a throwing error. Amor grounded into a double play, but it allowed Joey Frabasile to score from third to push the Crusaders on top 2-1.

The lead stayed at a run until the bottom of the seventh when the Abbey pushed across an insurance run. Frabasile lined a one out single to center, moved to second on a walk to Ian Vazquez and scored on Amor's double down the leftfield line.

Lenoir-Rhyne threatened in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with one out, but a fielder's choice and a strikeout ended the threat. Down to its final three outs in the top of the ninth, the Bears put the tying runners on base with two outs, but Pagan ended the game with a strikeout for his third save in four games.

The Crusaders finished with six hits as Amor collected two in four at bats, driving in one. Pagan had the other RBI. Matt Mazzolla finished with two hits, including a leadoff double in the third, the Abbey's first hit of the game.

Cody Stull earned the win in three and one-thirds innings of relief of starter Gabe Wallmeyer. Stull did not give up a run on three hits, striking out three and walking a pair. L-R starter Ryan Reedy was charged with the loss after allowing two runs over four innings, surrendering three hits, walking three and striking out one. Pagan allowed an infield single and recorded one strikeout in the last two-thirds of an inning.