BELMONT, N.C. - Belmont Abbey crept ahead in the early innings and used a six-run explosion in the bottom of the sixth to take a 15-2 decision in the 2019 season opener for both teams.

The Crusaders (1-0) did their damage on 12 hits and took advantage of a number of free passes by Newberry (0-1) pitchers. Six Wolves' hurlers combined for seven walks and nine hit batsmen, helping them to a pair of big innings and five frames with at least one run scored.

Hyman collected a pair of hits to pace the Wolves, reaching base for the eighth straight game dating back to the 2018 season. Colin Allman saw his 15-game hitting streak draw to a close but extended his reached-base streak to 19 games with a walk. In all, however, it was a difficult day for the Newberry bats: the Wolves struck out 18 times and were held off the board until the eighth inning.

Charlie Fessler suffered the loss, making his first career start in his 64th appearance in Scarlet and Gray. The senior pitched into the fifth inning before being lifted in favor of senior Austin Copeland, a transfer from Emmanuel. Fessler allowed four runs, one of which was unearned, on four hits. He struck out six batters with one walk in the losing effort.

The Crusaders scored single runs in the second and fourth innings, then tacked on two more in the fifth before blowing the game open in the sixth. A hit by pitch and a walk followed a leadoff single into left center to load the bases. The Crusaders' Mason Dodd, who two pitches earlier had lifted a foul ball home run distance down the right field line, cleared the fence in right with a grand slam to double the lead.

Belmont Abbey went on to score two more runs in the frame and added five in the seventh.

A head- up play by freshman Braylin Marine helped keep the game close in the early going. With the bases loaded in the second and both teams scoreless, a wild pitch allowed the first run to score and the throw to the plate got away from a covering Fessler. Marine then bounded into foul ground and flipped to Fessler as the second runner slid in and the tag was in time to end the inning with only one run crossing the plate.

Marine also collected one of Newberry's six hits in his collegiate debut, He laced a sharp single to center field in his first at-bat, drew a walk, and was perfect in three defensive chances.

Newberry's bats were stymied until the top of the eighth inning, when UConn transfer Kenny Bergmann's single got Newberry on the board in his Wolves' debut. A walk by Tyler Ackard and a single from freshman Aaron Copeland set the table for Bergmann. The Crusaders committed a pair of errors on the play that helped Newberry to two runs.

The Wolves and Crusaders conclude their season series tomorrow with a doubleheader at the Smith Road Complex in Newberry. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.

NOTE: A technical issue has prevented the final box score from being loaded into newberrywolves.com. The box score and stats will be updated as soon as the issue is resolved.