WILSON, N.C. – The Barton baseball team (14-9, 8-4) lost twice to Belmont Abbey (14-8, 8-4), 14-0 and 10-5, Saturday in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader at Nixon Field.
Game One – Belmont Abbey 14, Barton 0
The Crusaders' Caleb Burr (Mount Holly, N.C.) hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs as Belmont Abbey snapped Barton's seven-game winning streak.
Burr opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the second inning and added a solo shot in the fifth frame. The Crusaders' Conner Tucker (Stanfield, N.C.) added two hits and two RBI while Spencer Cipro (Brookfield, Mass.) improved to 5-1 on the year after throwing the complete game shutout.
Cipro scattered four hits and struck out a pair of batters while
Terel Tillman (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) fell to 4-2 after taking the loss for the Bulldogs.
Game Two – Belmont Abbey 10, Barton 5
The Crusaders' Carter DuHaime (Monroe, N.C.) finished with three hits and four RBI as Belmont Abbey jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held off a mini-surge by the Bulldogs in the middle of the game to complete the sweep.
Barton senior catcher
Chase Waddell (Lucama, N.C.) had a two-run single as part of a four-run fifth inning as the home team cut the deficit to 6-5 but the Crusaders responded with a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
Burr added three runs scored in the contest and Ethan Wilson (Waxhaw, N.C.) improved to 4-0 after earning the win in relief and Thomas Paxton (Waxhaw, N.C.) pitched three shutout innings for his fourth save of the year for the Crusaders. Barton's
Joe Rauscher (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) (0-3) was tagged with the loss.
Barton next travels to Tigerville, S.C., to take on North Greenville on Friday, March 14, at 3:30 p.m., in a league game while Belmont Abbey hosts Lander on Tuesday, March 11, at 5:00 p.m.
