Erskine, Belmont Abbey win play-in games on day one of the 2024 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship
GASTONIA, N.C. – The 2024 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship started with a pair of play-in contests that saw Erskine and Belmont Abbey move into the double elimination portion of the bracket.
In game one Erskine took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a David Hernandez single, but Francis Marion evened the score on a Tanner Cannon single in the second. Erskine took a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the sixth before Adrian Rolon hit a two-run home run in the seventh. The Flying Fleet ended the contest with five runs in the eighth inning, the final two on a Daniel Hernandez double, giving Erskine the 12-2 win.
In the nightcap, Belmont Abbey started a rally with two outs as Caleb Burr drove in two with a double to give the Crusaders a 2-0 lead. Belmont Abbey then added four runs, three unearned on an Aengus Adams double that put the Crusaders ahead 6-0. A Chad Evans drove a pair for King with a double in the sixth to pull the Tornado within 7-2.
Belmont Abbey stretched the lead to 8-2 before the King scored a run in the eighth and put together a rally in the ninth. Truman Roper and Michael Starts hit home runs in the ninth. However, Belmont Abbey then got the final two outs to take the contest 8-5.
Erskine and Belmont Abbey advanced to the double elimination portion of the Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship that starts on Thursday, May 2. Erskine faces top seed North Greenville at 11:00 a.m. and Belmont Abbey takes on second seed Young Harris at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.
To see the updated bracket for the championship and to learn more, please visit
here.