Belmont, N.C.----The Belmont Abbey College Crusaders used a sixth-inning grand slam to pick up a 6-4 victory over visiting Wingate University in NCAA Division II baseball action Tuesday night. Belmont Abbey improves to 33-10-1 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 27-18 on the season.
Lorenzo Wright was two-for-four with a homer and four RBI to lead the Belmont Abbey attack.
Nick Nunziato added a double, RBI and run scored, while
Nick Beinlich also drove in a run for the Crusaders.
Sophomore designated hitter
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) was three-for-four with a double, homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Redshirt freshman
Kemper Patton (Sumter, S.C.) also drove in a run for the Bulldogs, while junior outfielder
Shane Billings (Kernersville, N.C.) added a hit, stolen base and run scored.
Wingate jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Billings led off the game with a single, then stole second and scored on Brown's RBI double.
The Crusaders scored twice in the third to take the lead. Beinlich plated the first run with an RBI groundout, while an RBI double from Nunziato made it 2-1.
Brown tied the game in the sixth when Brown connected on his 11th homer of the year, a solo shot to right.
Belmont Abbey responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Two walks and an infielder single loaded the bases for Wright, who connected on a grand slam to left to make it 6-2.
Wingate cut the lead to three when freshman infielder
Zach Little (Troutman, N.C.) scored on a wild pitch. The Bulldogs added another run in the ninth. Brown singled to start the frame, while senior
Tyler Simmons (Charlotte, N.C.) followed with a single. Patton plated a run with an RBI single to make it 6-4. Wingate loaded the bases, but Belmont Abbey reliever
Kyle Halbohn induced a game-ending groundout to end the game.
Matt Davenport got the win, moving to 5-1. He allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings of work, striking out four and walking one. Halbohn notched his ninth save of the year, allowing a run on three hits in an inning of work. Junior right-hander
Brandyn Norton (Weaverville, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 0-1. He allowed two runs on a hit in one inning of work, striking out one and walking two.
Wingate is back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series against Catawba at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs and Indians meet for a doubleheader Saturday at 3 p.m.
