The Belmont Abbey baseball team rallied with three runs in the eighth to tie the game 5-5, but Chase Corn hit his fourth homer of the season to lead off the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Crusaders 6-5 at Grier Field. The loss sends the Abbey to 16-6-1 on the year, 3-5 in conference play, while Erskine is 17-8 overall and 5-4 in league play.

The Crusaders began the day well as Anthony Dimino singled to left with two down in the first and later scored on a Michael Falsetti single to right. Cody Stull carried the one run lead through three innings, punching out three Fleet batters.

The fourth inning was a big effort for Erskine, plating five as ten men came to the plate. The big blow was a two run double by Corn to stretch the Erskine lead to 5-1. The double was Corn's second of the day, and set the table for what would become a memorable afternoon for the outfielder from Travelers Rest, SC.

Falsetti drilled a solo homer into left for his second blast of the season to cut the lead to three. Ryan Allen would reach ahead of Matt Mazzolla, and Mazzolla reached on a hit batsman to chase Taylor Wall from the game. Joe Johnson managed to wiggle out of the jam to keep the Crusaders at bay. The lead would hold until the eighth when Dimino hit a towering homer to right field to cut the lead to 5-3. With Kennan Stanley reaching on an error, Falsetti scalded a line drive to second base that inadvertently hit the base umpire, resulting in an infield single. With two outs, Weston Clarke reached on an errant throw, scoring Stanley and Falsetti to knot the game at five. Emilio Pagan would pitch a perfect eighth, and the Crusaders were back in business.

Ian Vazquez doubled to right leading off the ninth. Dimino was intentionally walked with one out, to bring up Stanley and Falsetti. Stanley flew out to left and Falsetti was denied a fourth hit by Cody Spence on a diving catch in short right field.

The solo homer by Corn was a low liner, just clearing the fence some 340' feet away from home plate, sending the Fleet toward home plate to celebrate the walk off win. Kit Carter took the win in relief, while Pagan was tagged with a tough luck loss.

The series concludes with a doubleheader at Grier Field beginning at noon. Nate Cudney will tow the slab for the Abbey. Follow the Abbey on twitter: @abbeyathletics, hashtag #raisethered