MOUNT OLIVE, N.C.— The Belmont Abbey baseball team scored seven runs over the final four innings and that proved to be enough as the Crusaders held on for an 8-7 victory over Mount Olive in a Conference Carolinas series opener Friday at Scarborough Field.
 
The Crusaders moved to 21-12 overall, 12-6 in the conference. The Trojans are 18-12, 9-7.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sean Johnson extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a home run on the first pitch of the game to give Belmont Abbey a 1-0 lead.
• Zach Aehlert had the first of his two hits for the game in the fourth inning.
• Trailing 4-1 in the sixth inning, Aehlert moved The Abbey closer with an RBI single to Kale Rhame. Rhame had reached base in the previous at-bat after being hit by a pitch.
• Belmont Abbey took advantage of two errors from Mount Olive and a walk by Adam Overcash in the seventh inning to load the bases
• Ben Gobbel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaed to make it 4-3 and Overcash later scored on a wild pitch.
• A sacrifice fly by Rhame made it 5-4 in favor of The Abbey.
• Overcash added an RBI single as part of a three-run eighth inning.
• Gobbel was hit by another pitch and Rhame drew a walk with the bases loaded to add two more runs.
• The Trojans rallied with three runs in the ninth before Avery Short earned the final two outs to earn the save.
• Evan Campbell was credited with the win after allowing one hit through 2.1 innings.

 
UP NEXT
The series concludes with a doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday at Scarborough Field.