FLORENCE, S.C. – The Belmont Abbey baseball team completed a three-game sweep against Coker by winning both games of a doubleheader on Saturday at CarolinaBank Field.
The Crusaders won the first game of Saturday's doubleheader 7-2 and earned a 5-1 win in the nightcap. The second game was a seven-inning contest while Game 1 was nine innings.
The game was moved away from Coker's campus in Hartsville due to inclement weather from earlier this week.
Belmont Abbey is now 4-0 on the season while Coker falls to 0-3.
GAME 1
- The Crusaders struck first offensively with an RBI single from Joe Whitaker, who got his first career start at third base. Whitaker drove in Carter DuHaime, who drew a walk in his first at bat of the game.
- Grant Lohmeier was impressive in his first start of the season by allowing just one hit in six innings and striking out eight. He also did not allow a hit in the first five innings.
- Belmont Abbey took advantage of a pair of Coker errors in the fourth inning and scored two runs in the frame.
- Carter DuHaime added an RBI double in the eighth inning and the Crusaders broke the game open with a three-run ninth.
- Joey Humphrey drove in a run in the ninth while Garrett Browder had an RBI double.
- Frankie Barrett earned his first career save by pitching three innings of one-hit baseball and only allowing one run while recording six strikeouts.
GAME 2
- The Crusaders once again started off strong in the second game with a pair of runs coming with two outs.
- Ben Ferguson scored on a balk after reaching with a single. Joe Whitaker scored on an RBI single by Jackson Risk.
- The Crusaders added three runs in the second inning sparked by a one-out triple by Jack Boyles. Boyles scored with a Patrick Taylor RBI double in the next at-bat.
- Taylor and Connor Powell later scored on a fielding error by Coker with Ferguson at bat.
- Gianni Smith allowed just one run on two hits in five innings in his first start with Belmont Abbey. He also struck out 10 batters.
- Drew Stegura pitched the final two hitless innings while striking out five and walking just one batter.
UP NEXT
- The Crusaders turn around and travel to face Limestone at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Gaffney, S.C.
- Belmont Abbey is scheduled to play its first series at Abbey Yard with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. Friday against Trevecca Nazarene.