BELMONT, N.C. -- Casey Laing hit a two-run home run and Lilly Hartsell struck out seven in a complete-game victory, leading Belmont Abbey to a split with Catawba in non-conference softball action Tuesday afternoon. After dropping the opener 14-1 in five innings, the Crusaders rebounding with a 5-3 victory in the nightcap.

With the split, The Abbey stands at 9-3, while the Indians are now 9-7.

THE OPENER

• Belmont Abbey took a 1-0 lead in the first on McKenna Meadors' third home run of the season.
• However, the Indians scored three in the second and five in the third to take control.
• The Crusaders had just three hits total with a double by Lily Garnett-Brown and a Sami Kirk single complimenting Meadors.
• Erin Gill (2-1) took the loss despite seeing only two of her five runs allowed as earned.

THE NIGHTCAP

• Laing's homer came in the first inning and made the score 2-0.
• Belmont Abbey pounded out eight hits with four for extra bases. Maddie Phillips had the team's only multi-hit game with two, a double and an RBI single in the fifth.
• Garnett-Brown and Kirk also doubled in the contest.
• Meadors delivered a two-run single to start a three-run fifth.
• Hartsell walked just one and scattered 10. The lone mistake of the game was a three-run home run that cut the margin to 5-3 in the sixth.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey takes to the road for a pair of doubleheaders to round out the week.
• The action begins tomorrow at Mars Hill.