BELMONT, N.C. -- Belmont Abbey battled into the late innings, but Catawba eeked out a pair of close wins, 5-3 and 2-1 in a softball doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Crusader Field.

Catawba improved to 8-6 with the sweep, while the Crusaders fell to 2-8.

THE OPENER

• Melissa Neyhouse led the Crusaders' six-hit attack with a pair, plus drove in a run.
• Four others tallied a hit, including Morgan Smith, who tied the game at 3-3 with a solo home run in the third.
• Annabeth Watkins (1-4) took the loss despite allowing only three runs in 5.2 innings of relief.
• Hailey Gass registered six putouts and two assists in left field. She made a pair of diving catches and threw out two runners at the plate in two inning-ending double plays.
• The Crusaders opened the scoring with an unearned run in the first. After the Indians took the lead with two in the top of the second, the Abbey tied the game in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single from Neyhouse.
• Both teams hit solo home runs in the third to make the score 3-3, but the Indians broke the deadlock with another dinger in the seventh.
• Catawba starter Brooke Walser (2-1) pitched a complete game for the win.

THE NIGHTCAP

• Four players had hits, including Sydney Fields, whose pinch-hit home run in the seventh closed the margin to 2-1. The blast was the first of the freshman's career.
• Catawba homered in the first, then added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
• Starter Alannah Browne scattered six hits and allowed just one run over 3.1 innings. She falls to 0-1. Preston Ellenberg (3-1) pitched a complete game for the victory.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey travels to Augusta on Saturday.