MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. — The Belmont Abbey baseball team used timely hits early and strong pitching late as the Crusaders earned a 9-7 victory over No. 19 Mount Olive Friday evening at Scarborough Field in the opener of a key Conference Carolinas series.
The Crusaders took a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to home runs from
Carter DuHaime and
Garrett Browder in the third and fourth innings, respectively. The Trojans attempted to rally but it was
Jake Craddock who struck out five and allowed just one inning in three innings of relief to earn his second save of the season.
Drew Stegura earned his fifth win of the season after going six innings in his latest start.
Belmont Abbey improved to 22-19 overall and 14-11 in Conference Carolinas play with the win. Mount Olive is now 30-12 and 17-7 in league play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Crusaders sent three batters to the plate before the game was delayed nearly an hour due to inclement weather.
- After a scoreless first inning, Belmont Abbey got on the board in the second thanks to an RBI from Jake Andriole.
- He brought in Caleb Burr, who walked and later advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt.
- The Trojans answered with a run in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double.
- DuHaime hit his fourth home run of the year, a three-run shot in the third after Carter Bass and Connor Powell both walked to start the inning.
- Connor Tucker followed that with a single and later scored on a Mount Olive throwing error.
- Browder extended the Abbey lead to 9-1 with a grand slam.
- Bass and Powell hit singles and DuHaime was hit by a pitch prior to Browder's at bat.
- Mount Olive answered with three runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to cut the Crusader lead down to 9-7.
- Browder added his second hit of the game with a double in the sixth.
- Craddock entered the game in the seventh and retired the first four batters he faced.
- He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning by forcing a fielder's choice to end the Trojans rally.
- The right-hander retired the Trojans in order in the ninth that included a pair of strikeouts to close out the contest.
- Belmont Abbey is just the second team to earn a conference win at Mount Olive this season.
UP NEXT
- The Crusaders and Trojans conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday.
- First pitch of the opener of the twinbill is slated for 1 p.m.