Ryan Woodring dueled virtually pitch for pitch with the Abbey's Nate Cudney in Game 1 of a Conference Carolinas doubleheader on Saturday. In the end, Allen Staton was the difference for North Greenville as he contributed for all three runs and nailed down his fifth save en route to a 3-2 win over Belmont Abbey. The Crusaders gained the split with a 5-0 win in game two.

The afternoon began positively for the Abbey (24-9-1, 8-7 CC), as six Crusaders seniors were honored for their contributions to the program. Cudney, the lone remaining member of the 2009 Regional Championship club, was spotted a lead in the second by Ian Vazquez. His 20th RBI of the season was a sharp single through the right side of the infield, scoring Ryan Allen. Allen singled earlier in the frame, and stole second prior to the Vazquez safety.

The lead was short lived, however, as North Greenville(14-23,5-12CC) answered with a three run flurry in the third. Wheeler Smith walked, and reached second on an Adam Taylor single. With one out, Staton drove Smith and Taylor home with a single to center. Frank Polino would finish the scoring with a sacrifice fly, scoring Staton. The Abbey would cut the lead in the eighth as Kyle Buchanan would score Emilio Pagan on a fielder's choice. Woodring would go 7.2 innings, allowing two earned runs. Staton would enter the game to earn the save for North Greenville, retiring each of the four batters he faced.

Nate Cudney went the distance for the Abbey, only to lose in tough luck fashion. Ian Vazquez paced the Crusaders offensively, reaching base twice, and swiped his 18th and 19th stolen bases of the year.

In Game Two, Cody Stull turned the tables on NGU, spinning a complete game shutout, while stranding 10 on five punchouts. The Crusaders scored single runs in the first, second, and fourth, while putting two runs up in the fifth.

The scoring opened for the Abbey as Pagan reached on an error, reached second on a passed ball, and scored on a single by Anthony Dimino. In the second, Kennan Stanley singled and scored on John Pilla's base hit. A fourth inning sacrifice fly by Pilla plated Kennan Stanley, giving the Scarsdale, NY junior his multi-RBI game since March 13 against Philadelphia U.

Stull faced his stiffest challenge in the fifth. With one out, Adam Taylor doubled and reached third on an infield single by Taylor Hollifield. On the same play, Hollifield advanced to second with a throwing error. Game one hero Allen Staton came to the plate as the potential tying run. Stull rose to the occasion, striking out the team's leading run producer, and caused Andrew Lawrence to ground out to close the frame. The Abbey would distance themselves with two runs in the fifth, as Pagan and Dimino would tack on the final insurance runs.

Stull's effort on the hill moves his record to 6-2. The 5-0 win split the conference doubleheader, with the rubber game slated for 3:30pm on Monday afternoon. Airtime will be 3:15pm on WGNC 1450am in Gastonia, and www.wgnc.net . Follow the Crusaders on twitter: @abbeyathletics, #raisethered.

Yard Markers

-Dimino's RBI single in the fifth gives him 27 on the year, second on the club (Falsetti,30).

-Ian Vazquez has 19 steals on the season, one shy of the entire North Greenville club.

-Today, the Crusaders failed to reach double digit hits in consecutive games since March 3, 2013(vs. Mt.Olive)

Game 1 Box

Game 2 Box