GASTONIA, N.C. — The Belmont Abbey baseball team punched its ticket to the Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament Championship game as the Crusaders erased a five-run deficit to earn a 8-7 win over Mount Olive in an elimination game Sunday night at CaroMont Health Park.
Todd Velotta delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth to score
Landon Hahn to walk off the Trojans who had taken a 7-2 lead entering the eighth inning.
The Crusaders found itself in the game after dropping a 5-4 game to No. 4 seed UNC Pembroke earlier in the day in the winner's bracket final. The game had been moved back from Saturday afternoon due to inclement weather.
Belmont Abbey is now 28-24 and needs two wins to clinch its first Conference Carolinas Tournament title since 2009. The first pitch is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start time with the if necessary game to follow after that.
Mount Olive ends its tournament run with a 37-16 record.
GAME 1 (UNC Pembroke 5, Belmont Abbey 4)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Braves jumped out to an early two-run lead with a pair of RBI singles.
- Connor Tucker got the scoring started for the Crusaders with a two-run double in the third to tie the game.
- UNCP answered with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the inning.
- Carter DuHaime delivered his seventh home run of the year in the fourth to tie at 3-3.
- The Braves took advantage of a pair of Belmont Abbey errors in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-3 lead.
- Joe Whitaker drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to get the Abbey back within a run.
- Belmont Abbey was able to get the tying run on base but the Braves closed out the game with a strikeout.
- Drew Stegura took the loss after pitching five innings in relief. Will Harris earned the win and Chase Jernigan got the save.
GAME 2 (Belmont Abbey 8, Mount Olive 7)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams traded runs back-and-forth in the first two innings before Mount Olive jumped to a four-run lead in the third inning.
- Frankie Barrett pitched two scoreless innings while Brendan Simonds, Thomas Paxton, Danny Glenos and Jake Craddock combined to hold the Trojans to just one run over the next six innings.
- The Crusaders sent 10 batters to the plate in the eighth inning as the first five batters reached base safely with Connor Powell and Velotta driving in runs.
- Browder was hit by a pitch to cut the deficit within two before Caleb Burr hit a tying two-run single with two outs to tie the game.
- Craddock retired Mount Olive in order in the ninth to set the stage for the Crusaders.
- Landon Hahn had a one-out infield single and moved over to second base with another single from Powell.
- Velotta hit a single to center field and Hahn scored from second to win the game for the Abbey.
UP NEXT
- Belmont Abbey needs two wins to clinch its first Conference Carolinas Tournament title since 2009.
- The first pitch is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start time with the if necessary game to follow after that.