The Belmont Abbey offense recorded 19 hits in two games as the Crusader softball team registered a split at Barton College this afternoon, taking game one 7-5 and losing 7-6 in the nightcap. The Abbey is now 8-22 overall and 2-6 in Conference Carolinas, while Barton moves to 10-13 overall and 2-4 in Conference Carolinas.

"I was happy with the way we played today," Head Coach Ellie Hanover said. "We hit the ball well and played great defense. Both games were very intense. Barton battled back at the end of both games. We were able to shut them down the first game but came up short the second game. That was the best clutch hit by Autumn Pittman I have ever seen in my 15 year coaching career. I know my girls are excited to get back out on the field tomorrow to take on Mount Olive."

In the first game the Crusaders bolted out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning as Aleisha Peek led off with a double, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Katie Childers's single. Childers then moved to second on a passed ball and scored when Barton misplayed Chelsea Elmore's ground ball to move the lead to 2-0. After a walk to Savannah Carpenter, Carol-Anne Sherrill laced a run scoring single that brought home Elmore to widen the gap to 3-0. A free pass to Kelly Schweizer loaded the bases for Amber Faust, whose sacrifice fly to center was deep enough to score Carpenter and increase the advantage to 4-0.

The Crusaders added two more runs in the fifth as consecutive doubles by Shannon Arthur and Peek to start the inning produced the first run, as Peek's two-bagger scored Arthur. A pitching change, a popout and a passed ball and an ensuing error allowed Peek to score from third to make the score 6-0.

An RBI single by Brittany Southard in the sixth increased the lead to 7-0, but the Bulldogs stormed back by scoring the last five runs of the game, plating three in the sixth and two more in the bottom of the seventh. Barton recorded three doubles in the bottom of the seventh, and had the tying run at the plate, but a groundout ended the game.

Nikki Faust earned the win as she went six innings, giving up three runs on five hits, fanning two. Kendall Street took the loss after allowing six runs, three earned, on seven hits in four innings. She walked four.

The Abbey totaled nine hits as Sherrill, Peek and Schweizer all had two hits. Both of Peek's hits were doubles.

In game two, the Abbey entered the bottom of the seventh leading 6-2, but Barton scored five runs on five hits, four coming on a grand slam home run by Autumn Pittman. All four of those runs were unearned after an Abbey error.

After that homer tied the game, Barton loaded the bases again and scored the winning run on a walk to end the game.

The game began with Barton scoring the first two runs of the contest in the bottom of the fourth, but the Crusaders responded by scoring five unanswered runs, starting with three in the fifth, two coming on a double by Amber Faust and the other when Elmore scored from third on a fielder's choice.

One ininng later, the Abbey moved the lead to 5-2 as Faust and Schweizer ripped RBI singles. The Crusaders tacked on one more in the top of the seventh as Elmore's fielder's choice allowed Peek to score.

Pittman earned the win in one inning of relief as she walked two batters but did not allow a run in the seventh inning. Shanie McConnell took the loss after giving up seven runs, two earned, on 12 hits in six and two-thirds innings. She struck out four and walked six.

Faust drove in three runs on two hits in four at bats to lead the Crusaders, which finished with ten hits. Childers also had a pair of hits. Schweizer recorded two RBI.

Game One Box

Game Two Box