BELMONT, N.C. -- Melissa Neyhouse tallied five hits over two games and Payton Whitley enjoyed a three-hit effort in the nightcap, but Emmanuel took a Conference Carolinas doubleheader over Belmont Abbey Wednesday afternoon at Crusader Field. The Lions won the opener 9-0 before rallying for an 8-7 victory in the second contest.

The Abbey falls to 4-12, 2-2 on the season, while Emmanuel now stands at 11-9, 2-0.

THE OPENER

• Neyhouse went 3-for-3 in the contest, registering her sixth multi-hit game of the year. The three hits were a season-high.
• Evann Shellnut, Hailey Gass and Briana Embler each recorded hits.
• Emmanuel scored five in the third, one in the sixth and three in the seventh.
• Starter Annabeth Watkins took the loss after pitching into the third. She struck out two.
• Madison Abell (6-5) earned the win with the complete-game shutout.

THE NIGHTCAP

• Neyhouse added two more hits with a double and single. She drove in one and scored twice.
• Whitley was 3-for-4 with three singles. She drove in two, including one in the sixth that put the Crusaders up 7-6, while also scoring a run.
• Hailey Gass and Claire Doyle each added a pair of hits, while Morgan Smith had a two-run home run.
• Mackenzie Sprinkle rounded out the 11-hit attack.
• The back-and-forth affair saw the Lions jump out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Crusaders rallied to go up 4-3 with a run in their second and three in the third.
• Each team took the lead in the fourth by scoring three runs, then Emmanuel went ahead for good with two in the fifth.
• Erin Maher, making her first varsity appearance, took the loss, allowing two runs in 1.2 innings pitched. She walked one and struck out one.
• Dani Fairey (2-0) earned the win in relief. She pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief of starter Sloan Hammonds.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey heads to Davenport, Fla. for a spring break trip that features three contests.
• The Crusaders open play against Northern State (S.D.) on Monday afternoon.