BELMONT, N.C. – The Barton baseball team (11-1, 0-1), ranked No. 18 in NCAA Division II, suffered its first loss of the year by a 3-2 score in 10 innings to Belmont Abbey (6-5, 3-1) in the Conference Carolinas opener for the Bulldogs Friday evening at Abbey Yard.
Belmont Abbey's Connor Tucker (Stanfield, N.C.) hit the walk-off, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning to lift the Crusaders to the win.
Barton senior designated hitter
Tanner Halvorson (Eau Claire, Wisc.) forced extra innings by scoring on a induced double play in the top of the ninth inning before the Bulldogs took a 2-1 advantage in the tenth frame when graduate student infielder
Mason Staz (Olin, N.C.) drove in a run on a fielder's choice.
The Crusaders' Thomas Paxton (Waxhaw, N.C.) (1-0) earned the victory after pitching the final inning for the home team while graduate student
A.J. Campbell (Absecon, N.J.) (2-1) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs.
After 11 contests at home, the Bulldogs were playing their first road game of the year.
The two teams wrap up the league weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m.
