BELMONT, N.C. — Matthew Fattore drove in two runs, including a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Belmont Abbey baseball team rallied from a three-run deficit to earn a 5-4 victory over No. 7 seed Carson-Newman Thursday evening at Abbey Yard.
The Crusaders were down 4-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning but rallied with four runs over the span of the final three innings to earn the victory.
Seth Edgerton earned the win for Belmont Abbey, allowing just one hit and striking out six over six shutout innings. Three Crusaders had two hits each.
Belmont Abbey improves to 41-15 with the win while Carson-Newman drops to 37-18.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a scoreless top of the first inning, Belmont Abbey got on the board with an RBI ground-rule double from Connor Tucke to make it 1-0.
- Carson-Newman took a three-run lead with a sacrifice fly in the second inning and a three-run home run in the third.
- Edgerton helped give the Crusaders a chance as a double in the fifth inning was the only hit that he allowed. He retired 13 straight Eagles after the hit.
- The Crusaders got back on the board in the seventh inning when Fattore drove in a run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
- Belmont Abbey tied the game in the eighth with a pair of home runs from Tucker and Joe Whitaker.
- In the ninth inning, Jake Bidoglio hit a bloop single as a pinch hitter to get on base.
- After Carter Bass came in to run, Fattore drove him with a double off the left-center field wall.
- The Crusaders have won four straight games in a Southeast Regional dating back to the 2023 season at Newberry.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
UP NEXT
- Belmont Abbey will face No. 3 seed Lenoir-Rhyne in the winner's bracket at 6 p.m. Friday back at Abbey Yard.
- Carson-Newman will face No. 6 seed North Georgia in an elimination game starting at 3 p.m.
