BELMONT, N.C. - The Anderson baseball team rallied for two runs in the final two innings but opened a four-game road swing with a 9-8 setback at Belmont Abbey Wednesday afternoon at Abbey Yard.

Anderson dropped to 9-6 on the season, while Belmont Abbey, which has won four straight, improved to 13-4.

The Crusaders jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the third as Roberto Sanchez singled home Michael Vargas, who led off the inning with a walk.

Anderson took its first lead in the fourth, answering the Abbey's run with two of its own, using a two-run homer from Erick Sanderson. The Crusaders tied the game at two in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff homer by Chris Vazquez.

The Trojans surged ahead in the fifth, scoring four runs on a grand slam by Ryan Saxon to move ahead 6-2. The Abbey clipped the margin to 6-4 in the bottom of the inning as Vazqez laced a two-RBI double that brought home Sanchez and Kyle Buchanan.

Anderson went scoreless in the sixth, and the Abbey moved ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth. John Cucchiarella doubled home Justin Vasquez, and Sanchez followed with a single that plated Vargas. Caleb Shore brought home Cucchiarella with a sacrifice fly to right to put the Abbey ahead to stay.

The Trojans were retired in order in the top of the seventh, and the Abbey pushed across an insurance run in the bottom half. Vasquez reached on a one out error and scored on a double by Vargas to extend the lead to 8-6. Anderson matched that run in the top of the eighth on a Brett Scarberry single, but the Crusaders moved their lead back to two in the bottom of the frame as Buchanan grounded into a double play, but it allowed Sanchez to score to move the lead to 9-7.

In the top of the ninth, Anderson loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, but Jordan Cudney induced a double play that brought home a run. He then retired Sanderson to end the game.

Taylor Reeves, the second of four Abbey pitchers, earned the win in two and two-thirds innings of relief, giving up one run on no hits. He struck out a pair. Riley McDermott, the third of five Anderson hurlers, took the loss. He yielded three runs, two earned, on three hits in an inning of work. Cudney nailed down the save in the final inning and two-thirds
Vazquez and Roberto Sanchez both had three of the Abbey's 11 hits. Vazquez clubbed a solo homer and added a double and a single. Sanchez drove in two runs as he collected three hits in four at bats.

Anderson finished with 12 hits as four different Trojans registered two hits apiece. Ryan Saxon recorded two hits in five at bats with four RBI, and Erick Sanderson drove in two runs.

Anderson gets back on the diamond Friday as the Trojans open a three-game South Atlantic Conference series at Carson-Newman. First-pitch is slated for 2 p.m. in Jefferson City, Tenn.