Belmont, NC – Erskine scored a run in the top of the ninth to force extra innings and would score a run in the top of the 12^th inning to defeat Belmont Abbey 5-4 in a battle for first place in Conference Carolinas.  

The Crusaders would score a run in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead.  In the top of the sixth, Chris Rave would walk to lead off the inning and Henry Faunce would single up the middle to lead off the inning.  A RBI single by Chaz Davey would tie the game up and the runners would advance to second and third on the throw home.  Kyle Heiss would ground out to short to score Faunce and give the Fleet a 2-1 lead and Tyler Phillips would reach on a bunt single to score Davey to make it a 3-1 game.  The lead would be short lived as Belmont Abbey would score two runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game and a run in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead.  Trailing by one in the ninth, Phillips would lead off with a double to center and then score on a single by AJ Fabrizio to tie the game and send it into extra innings.  With the game tied at four in the top of the 12^th, Sam Cothran would lead off with a single, and then Chase Watts would reach on a fielder's choice.  A single to center field would move Watts to third and he would score when Tanner Lollis reached on a safety squeeze play to give Erskine the one run lead.    Erskine would hold the Crusaders scoreless in the bottom of the inning for the win.

Faunce was 3-4 with a run score for the Fleet while COthran was 3-6.  Phillips was 2-5 with a double and RBI, while Watts, Rave, Davey, Heiss, Fabrizio and Destin Nichols each had a hit.  Joe Johnson (7-4) picked up his second straight win allowing one run on five hits and striking out 10 in six innings of relief work.