BELMONT, N.C. -- Lily Garnett-Brown homered twice and drove in six runs, setting the tone for a Belmont Abbey sweep of Lees-McRae in Conference Carolinas softball action Tuesday afternoon.

The Crusaders won the first game 10-2 in six innings and the second 5-0 to improve to 20-16 overall and 12-6 in league play. The Bobcats fall to 8-21, 2-13. The sweep also keeps The Abbey within one game of Northwest Division leader North Greenville (8-2 vs. 7-3) with the two teams schedule for a doubleheader showdown next Tuesday in Belmont.

THE OPENER

• Garnett-Brown hit a pair of three-run home runs, one in the first and another that walked-off the game in the sixth.
• Casey Laing also had a three-run blast in the second, while Hannah Jane Gard scored twice as part of a 3-for-4 game.
• Belmont Abbey outhit the Bobcats 10-7.
• Sienna Garcia threw a complete game, striking out six against no walks. She improved to 11-9 with the victory.

THE NIGHTCAP

• Belmont Abbey jumped out to another first-inning lead on a sacrifice fly by Gard. She followed leadoff-hitter Alayna Patrick, who singled and went to third on an outfield error.
• Megan Towery hit her team leading eighth home run of the season for a 3-0 lead in the fourth, then Trinity Wall posted a two-run single in the sixth.
• Erin Gill won her fifth straight decision to improve to 6-2. She threw 6.2 inning, holding the Bobcats to two hits. Melanie Garcia got the final two outs for the combined shutout.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey takes the Easter holiday off before returning to action on Tuesday.
• The Crusaders host North Greenville, looking overtake the Trailblazers in the Northwest Division standings.
• The Abbey swept NGU in Tigerville on March 25.