April 2, 2008

Belmont Abbey Baseball Outlasts Lenoir-Rhyne, 6-5, In 12 Innings

Daniel Ford and Jake Hartley each drove in two runs despite the loss for the Bears

Hickory, N.C. – The Belmont Abbey College Baseball Team (27-14) outlasted Lenoir-Rhyne College (20-22), 6-5, in 12 innings Wednesday night at Bears Field.

The Crusaders’ Justin Vasquez (Palm City, Fla.) drove in Carlos Vasquez (Palm City, Fla.) with the game-winning single in the 12th inning to lift Belmont Abbey to the win.

With the score tied at two, each team scored three runs in the ninth frame to force extra innings.

For Lenoir-Rhyne, junior third baseman Daniel Ford (Youngstown, Ohio/Manatee CC) hit a two-run single to cut the margin to 5-4 before sophomore outfielder Evan Taylor (Charlotte, N.C./Independence HS) tied it a five with a run-scoring hit.

Carlos Vasquez led the Crusaders with three hits and an RBI while Ford and junior designated hitter Jake Hartley (Bluffton, S.C./Hilton Head HS) each drove in two runs for the Bears.

Belmont Abbey’s Kamron Gardner (Flagler Beach, Fla.) (1-0) picked up the win while Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore Adam Hart (Jacksonville, N.C./White Oak HS) fell to 0-3 with the loss.  Joey Kopp picked up the save for the Crusaders.

Lenoir-Rhyne next travels to Newberry, S.C., to face Newberry College in a South Atlantic Conference game on Friday beginning at 7 p.m.

Box Score