WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (17-12) gave a great effort, but a pair of critical innings cost the team in an 11-3 loss to the #2 Belmont Abbey Crusaders (28-5), Wednesday afternoon. The Rams took the loss behind an overall great game, but the team fell into some struggles in the seventh and ninth innings that cost the team the hard-fought loss.

The Rams had a great overall effort in the game. As a team, the Rams totaled 10 hits in the game while allowing just 11 to the Crusaders. WSSU sophomore catcher Cole Parks led the way for the Rams with a two-for-three batting effort. Freshman short stop Wellington Guzman added a two-for-four batting effort with an RBI.

The game was a defensive showdown early with both teams struggling to get runs across the plate, but some late defensive struggles by Rams proved costly. It was the Crusaders who struck first with a second-inning run, but the Rams soon answered in the fourth inning when freshman right fielder Luke Spiva hit an RBI single to score junior Rashad Stewart. The Rams allowed another run in the fifth inning, but Guzman answered with an RBI single to score senior left fielder John Garcia. From there, things got tough for the Rams as the team allowed five seventh-inning runs and four ninth inning runs to fall behind 8-2. The Rams made a rally effort in the bottom of the ninth inning when senior left fielder Matthew Mauldin hit an RBI single to score junior Michael Moorehead.

WSSU junior Kyle Taylor (1-2) took the pitching loss when he went  0.2 innings with two runs allowed, two earned, on one hit with a strikeout. Senior pitcher Seth Reeves got the pitching start and completed 4.1 innings. He finished the game with two runs, two earned, on three hits with four strikeouts.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 17-12. The team will return to action tomorrow when they host the Piedmont International Bruins in a 6:00 p.m. game. For more information on Rams baseball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.