Spartanburg Reporter

Saints Fall to Belmont Abbey for First Loss of Season

Freshman infielder Cody Schneider (Beavercreek, Ohio) connected on his first collegiate homerun while the Limestone pitching staff struck out a season-high 17 batters, but it was Belmont Abbey that came away with a 7-4 victory on Tuesday evening at Founders FCU Stadium, giving the Saints their first defeat of the season.

 

GAME INFORMATION

Score: Belmont Abbey 7, Limestone 4

Records: Belmont Abbey (5-0), Limestone (3-1)

Location: Founders FCU Stadium

 

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE 

• Junior first baseman Clark Burroughs (Swan Point, Md.) led the Saints at the dish, collecting two hits while driving in one and scoring two runs
• Senior outfielder Zach O'Malley (Greenville, S.C.) also tallied two hits in three trips to the plate
• Freshman third baseman Gavin Troyer (Powdersville, S.C.) recorded two hits
• Sophomore shortstop Noah Love (Concord, N.C.) drove in a pair of runs for the Blue and Gold
• Junior right-handed pitcher Andrew Dye (Boone, S.C.) was tagged with a tough loss after throwing 3.1 innings while not giving up an earned run and striking out six
• Senior right-handed pitcher Nick Robertson (Laurens, S.C.) pitched a perfect 9th frame, striking out the side

HOW IT HAPPENED

Belmont Abbey took an early 3-0 lead with a trio of runs in the top of the first. After starting pitcher Noah Barozzino (Cornelius, N.C.) recorded the first two outs of the frame, the Crusaders put together a rally behind a two-RBI single by Connor Powell.

The Saints went quietly in the first, but were able to cut into the deficit with a single run in the bottom half of the second inning. Burroughs started the frame reaching on an error by the shortstop before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly by Love.

Limestone was then able to knot the score at 3-3 with a pair of runs in the home portion of the third behind two hits. Freshman center fielder Janniel Berroa (Miami, Fla.) coaxed a one-out walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch. Burroughs would bring him home with a base hit to right field. Love followed that up with a single through the right side to plate Burroughs.

However, Belmont Abbey came right back to take the lead in the top of the fourth following a sacrifice fly Carter DuHaime. That lead doubled in the sixth as the Crusaders were able to plate two more runs on run-scoring hits by Ben Ferguson and Connor Tucker.

Heading into the late innings, BAC extended the lead to 7-3 in the eighth following an RBI single to right field by Garrett Browder.

Schneider led the ninth off with a homerun to left field, pulling the Saints to within 7-4, but three of the next four batters were retired as Belmont Abbey escaped with the non-conference win.

Original source can be found here