TIGERVILLE, S.C. — The Belmont Abbey softball team put together two of its biggest wins of the season as the Crusaders swept Northwest Division leader North Greenville Wednesday afternoon at Jan McDonald Field. Belmont Abbey took the opener 10-2 in six innings before rallying for a 4-1 win in the nightcap.
With Wednesday's results, Belmont Abbey is now 14-16 overall and 6-6 in Conference Carolinas play while North Greenville is now 21-13 overall and 11-3 in league play. The Crusaders moved into second in the division at 5-3, just one game behind the Trailblazers (6-2).
THE OPENER
- The Crusaders jumped out to a fast start with a five-run first inning staring with a three-run home from Megan Towery and a two-run double from Trinity Wall.
- After NGU added a run in the second inning, the Crusaders added another RBI with a sacrifice fly from Towery.
- Belmont Abbey broke the game open in the sixth inning with a triple from Kennedy Teasley who also scored on an error.
- Erin Gill (3-2) got the win after pitching five innings and allowing just one run on three hits.
- NGU got a run back in the sixth but Mellany Garcia, just moved up from the developmental team yesterday, closed out the game in her varsity debut.
- Casey Laing went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Towery and Hannah Jane Gard added two hits each.
THE NIGHTCAP
- Six different players tallied hits with Lily Garnett-Brown leading the way with two.
- After falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Crusaders answered with three in the fourth and one in the seventh.
- Ava Elkins put BAC ahead with a two-run single, followed by a sacrifice fly by Wall. Gard delivered an insurance run with an RBI groundout.
- Sienna Garcia allowed only five hits and no earned runs to improve to 8-9.
UP NEXT
- Belmont Abbey returns home to face Erskine on Friday at Crusader Field.
- First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
