FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. -- Belmont Abbey's bats continued to sizzle with 18 total hits -- five from
Payton Whitley - lifting the Crusaders to a doubleheader sweep of Emmanuel Friday, 6-5 and 12-1 in five innings.
The win was the fifth in a row for The Abbey, which improves to 9-11 overall, but 7-3 in league play. Emmanuel falls to 10-18, 3-5.
THE OPENER
- Ten of the 11 runs scored by the two teams came off home runs.
- Sydney Pon hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh that capped a four-run rally and put The Abbey up 6-4.
- Earlier in the inning, Mackenzie Sprinkle tied the game at four with a two-run homer of her own. She finished the game with two hits.
- Whitley was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. She homered in the second to put the Crusaders up 1-0.
- Annabeth Watkins picked up the win with a complete-game effort. She struck out five, while walking just two to improve to 5-6.
THE NIGHTCAP
- Belmont Abbey never trailed in the contest after two runs in the first. The Crusaders added six in the fourth and four in the fifth to end the contest early.
- Melissa Neyhouse, Bailey Presley and Whitley each had a pair of hits.
- Pon also hit another two-run homer in the fourth, extending the lead to 8-1.
- Alannah Browne scatterered five hits in the complete-game effort. She improved to 3-4 on the season.
UP NEXT
- Belmont Abbey steps out of conference on Wednesday for a doubleheader at Lenoir-Rhyne.
