BELMONT, N.C. – In its final action of the regular season, the Lander baseball team lost both ends of a doubleheader Sunday evening at Belmont Abbey, falling to the Crusaders by scores of 8-3 and 8-1. Both games lasted seven innings.

Belmont Abbey improves to 35-17 overall, while Lander is now 21-29. The Bearcats begin Peach Belt Conference Tournament play on Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., against USC Aiken in Florence, S.C.

In the first game, Cameron Busby (7-3) was awarded the win for Belmont Abbey after striking out four and allowing three runs on four hits in seven innings.

Lander's Sam Linn (1-8) suffered the loss, striking out two, walking four and allowing five earned runs on four hits in two innings.

Belmont Abbey grabbed a 4-0 lead before the Bearcats got on the board in the top of the third, as Colton Yeager singled home Reed Gray. 

A two-run fifth inning pulled Lander within 7-3 after RBI groundouts from Yeager and Ryan Troutman. However, the Crusaders scored again in the bottom of the sixth on Luke Cureton's third hit of the game, an RBI double down the left field line. 

For Lander, Gray batted 2-for-3 with two runs scored. 

In the second game, Belmont Abbey's Blake Waldren (7-2) earned the win with six strikeouts, three walks and five scoreless innings. 

Lander's Garrett Lovorn (0-3) took the loss with seven strikeouts, four walks and six runs off two hits in 3.1 innings. 

Nathan Schreckengost drove in Lander's lone run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh that scored Troutman. 

For Lander, Troutman batted 2-for-3.