PEMBROKE, N.C. -- For the second straight day, Belmont Abbey split a road doubleheader in Conference Carolinas play, winning 6-4 over UNC Pembroke in the first game before a heartbreaking 15-14 decision in eight innings in the nightcap.
Mackenzie Allison had five hits on the day, including a 3-for-3 effort in the opener.
The Abbey now stands 7-13 overall, but 2-2 in league play after opening that schedule yesterday at Mount Olive.
THE OPENER
- Allison, batting from the No. 6 spot, had three hits in the contest, all singles, plus drew a walk.
- The Crusaders' first five batters in the lineup each had a hit to round out an eight-hit attack.
- Hallie Mele drove in two runs in the second with a double down the left field line. An error and double steal produced two more runs as the Crusaders jumped out to a 4-0 lead.
- UNCP rallied to tie the game at 4-4 with two runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth.
- But in the seventh, Bailey Presley singled with one out and came home on a Sidney Pon double to left. One out later, she scored on a throwing error for the final margin.
- Alannah Browne picked up the win, allowing two unearned runs in 4.1 innings. She started the game and pitched into the fourth before coming back in relief in the bottom of the sixth, getting the final out and three straight in the seventh.
THE NIGHTCAP
- The game was a slugfest as the teams combined for 29 runs and 34 hits. Five errors also contributed to the scoring.
- Mele, Presley, Pon and Allison had two hits each. Mele drove in four runs, two on a home-run in the second inning.
- The Crusaders opened an 11-0 lead after three and 13-1 in the fourth before the Braves mounted a furious rally. Four runs in the bottom of the fourth and seven in the fifth made the score 13-12.
- Two Pembroke runs in the sixth evened the game at 14.
- The winning run scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth.
- Browne took the loss to fall to 3-8. She again started then re-entered in relief in the sixth.
