The Belmont Abbey baseball team put the finishing touches on its third Conference Carolinas series sweep with a pair of wins at Limestone College today, earning wins by scores of 18-5 and 9-7. The wins, which increase the Crusaders winning streak to five, moves the record to 21-9 overall and 11-4 in Conference Carolinas, while Limestone drops to 8-19 overall and 1-11 in Conference Carolinas.

In the opener, which was seven innings, Limestone plated two in the bottom of the first, but the Abbey scored four times in the second, as Matt Mazzolla led off with a solo homer, John Cucchiarella ripped an RBI double and later scored on an error, and Emilo Pagan tripled in a run.

The Saints pulled one back in the bottom of the second to close the lead to 4-3, but the Abbey exploded for 13 runs on 12 hits in the top of the fourth, as it sent 17 men to the plate. The highlight of the inning came on Ian Vazquez's inside-the-park two run homer. Mazzolla drove in four runs in the inning alone, on two, two RBI singles. The big inning moved the lead to 17-4.

Belmont Abbey added one more in the top of the seventh as Jon Pilla worked a leadoff walk, moved to second on a single by Dakota Irwin and to third on a single by Shore. He scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Vazquez. Limestone closed the scoring in the seventh on an RBI double.

Steven Thiele improved his record to 4-2 as he allowed five runs on ten hits in a complete-game effort, striking out eight. Jeremy Peed was saddled with the loss as he gave up six runs, five earned, on five hits in two ininngs.

The Abbey rapped out 19 hits as Mazzolla finished three for four with five RBI. Vazquez drove in three runs as he collected two hits in five at bats. Cucchiarella finished two for three with three RBI. Pagan and Joey Frabasile both drove in two runs. Shore finished three for three with an RBI and three runs scored.

In the nightcap, the Crusaders jumped ahead in the top of the first as Pagan blasted a solo homer to right, but Limestone answered with a pair of runs in its half with a two-run homer.

The Crusaders bolted right back in front by scoring two runs in the second, third and fourth innings, as Kyle Buchanan drilled a two-run homer in the second. In the third, Frabasile's sacrifice fly brought home Shore, who reached on a one out single, and a Stephen Mullis double plated Pagan, who singled earlier.

One inning later, the lead grew to 7-1 as Cucchiarella tripled home Buchanan, who led off with a single, and Cucchiarella scored on Shore's single to widen the lead to 7-1. I the fifth, Buchanan made it 8-1 when his flyout to left was deep enough to bring home Frabasile.

Limestone battled back with three runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 8-5, but the Abbey extended its advantage back to five in the eighth as Cucchiarella's double to right easily scored Buchanan, who led off the frame with a single.

Trailing by four, the Saints hit a two run homer to close the lead to 9-7, but Pagan came in to work the ninth inning and gave up a triple, but no runs, as he nailed down his eighth save of the year to complete the sweep.

Gabe Wallmeyer improved his record to 4-1 as he yielded six runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. He did not walk a batter and struck out five. Kaleb Earls was charged with the loss after he allowed seven runs on nine hits in four innings.

Pagan and Buchanan led the Abbey with three hits each as the Crusaders finished with 13. Buchanan drove in three runs.

Game One Box

Game Two Box