KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Belmont Abbey baseball team continued its good form at the plate and used a pair of big innings to defeat Catawba 12-6 Tuesday evening at Atrium Health Ballpark.
The game was played at the home of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers as part of the team's collegiate showcase series.
Todd Velotta led the way offensively with four hits for The Abbey and was one of six Crusaders to finish with multiple hits on the evening.
Drew Stegura earned the win after pitching two innings of scoreless relief. The Crusaders improved to 22-10 on the season while the Indians fell to 19-14.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both starting pitchers, Grant Lohmeier and Brandon Rodgers, got off to good starts with only one hit between the two teams in the first two innings.
- Connor Powell got the third inning started with a leadoff single followed two batters later by Joe Whitaker reaching on a fielding error from Catawba.
- Ben Ferguson drove in both runners with an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch.
- Carter DuHaime capped off the inning with a two-run home run to extend the lead to 5-0.
- The Crusaders' four runs in the fourth inning all came with two outs.
- Lohmeier did not allow a hit in his first three innings of work Tuesday.
- Ferguson came through with his second straight RBI double to score Velotta and Whitaker.
- Back-to-back singles from Connor Tucker and Garrett Browder added another two runs for The Abbey.
- Stegura only allowed one hit in his two innings of relief.
- Belmont Abbey added three more runs in the seventh to extend the lead to 12-2.
- Myles Hedgecock and Nic Aehlert pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively, for the Crusaders.
- The 16 hits matches a season-high from two other games earlier this season: Feb. 27 against Erskine and March 4 against Southern Wesleyan.
UP NEXT
- The Crusaders open a three-game Conference Carolinas series at Chowan.
- Due to inclement weather, the Crusaders and Hawks will play a doubleheader beginning at noon Friday in Murfreesboro.
- The series will conclude with a single game at noon Saturday.
