The Belmont Abbey softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to the visiting Francis Marion Patriots, as it was edged 2-1 in game one and losing 8-1 in the nightcap. Francis Marion is now 26-12, while the Crusaders fall to 8-26.

In the opener, the Crusaders jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second as Aleisha Peek stole home after she doubled and moved to third on a single by Brittany Southard.

The Crusaders maintained their lead until the top of the fourth when the Patriots surged ahead with two runs, getting a solo homer by Lindsey Brown that tied the game at one. The Patriots took the lead for good when Krissy Longstreet scored from third on a wild pitch.

Belmont Abbey threatened in the fifth, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but a fly out to right ended the inning. That was the last scoring chance for both teams as Francis Marion held on for the win.

Kayla Ellingsen went the distance for the Patriots as she earned the win, limiting the Crusaders to one run on five hits, striking out two. Nikki Faust took the loss. She allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits. She struck out one. Five different Crusaders had hits.

In the second game Brown put the Patriots ahead 2-0 in the top of the first with a homer to dead center. The Patriots tacked on another in the fourth to move out to a 3-1 lead, and the Crusaders closed it to 3-2 as Peek singled home Kelly Schweizer.

Francis Marion answered with two runs in the top of the fifth on a two-RBI double by Sara Broderick, and added three more in the seventh on a solo homer by Jazz Holliday, an RBI double by Brown and an RBI single by Tristan Faile.

Katie Carnes earned the win in five innings of work, allowing one run on six hits, fanning three. Emily Self was charged with the loss. She yielded three runs on ten hits in four innings, striking out one.

Peek and Kinsey McClure led the Abbey with two hits apiece, which finished with eight.

Game One Box

Game Two Box