The Belmont Abbey baseball team dropped the first game of a Conference Carolinas series to the visiting Erskine Flying Fleet by a 9-4 score this afternoon at Abbey Yard. The Abbey is now 16-8 and 7-3 in Conference Carolinas, while Erskine improves to 9-9 overall and 3-4 in Conference Carolinas.

The Crusaders fell behind early as Erskine jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Back to back singles by Josh Purvis and Phillip Herring put runners on first and second with no outs. Both Purvis and Herring would score as Emilio Pagan's throw to first on Cameron Yost's sacrifice bunt attempt went wide of the mark.

The Abbey rallied with two outs in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1. After Caleb Shore drew a two out walk and Michael Vargas was hit with a pitch to put runners on first and second, Shore scored from second as Chase Corn's pickoff attempt sailed into right field.

Erskine answered back in the top of the third to extend its advantage to 3-1. Will Huff laced a one out single and was driven in on Brandon Wooten's double to left center.

Justin Vasquez hit a solo home run with two out in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Abbey deficit to 3-2.

The Flying Fleet pushed its advantage to 5-2 in the top of the sixth. Purvis started off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a balk by Nate Cudney following a failed sacrifice bunt by Herring. Yost singled through the right side of the infield to bring home Purvis. A passed ball by Kyle Buchanan allowed Purvis to advance to second, and single by Cody Spence plated Purvis for the second run of the frame.

The Crusaders continued to fight back in the bottom of the six as they cut the deficit to 5-4. Joey Frabasile led off the inning with a single. After Matt Mazzolla struck out swinging, Kyle Buchanan and Shore were each hit with a pitch to load the bases. The Crusaders were left with one out to work with following a Vargas foul out. Ian Vazquez answered with a two out single to score Frabasile and Buchanan.

Erskine rallied with two outs to extend its advantage to 8-4 in the top of the seventh. Wooten singled with two outs and advanced to second on Purvis's single. Herring followed with a single to plate Wooten and move Purvis to second. Cudney hit Yost to load the bases and was replaced on the mound by James White. Spence singled to right to allow Herring and Purvis to score.

Another run in the top of the eight sealed the 9-4 victory for the Flying Fleet. Corn started off the inning with a double and advanced to third on Drew Willingham's ground out. White induced a Huff groundout for the second out of the inning. Corn scored as McCarthy reached on a fielding error by Vargas.

Vazquez had a big day at the plate for the Abbey going 2-3 with two RBI and two walks. Justin Vasquez went 2-4 with a home run, an RBI, and a walk. Cudney was saddled with the loss after pitching six and two-thirds innings and giving up eight runs (six earned).

Spence led the Flying Fleet with a 3-5 performance with two RBI. Wooten went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Purvis was 3-5 with three run scored on the day. Taylor Wall was the victor going three innings and allowing three runs on four hits in relief of Corn, who worked the first three innings. Heath Gray nailed down the save after yielding just one hit, a leadoff double by Vasquez in the ninth, over the final one and one-thirds scoreless innings.