TIGERVILLE, S.C. – North Greenville advanced to its second straight NCAA Division II Baseball Championship with a doubleheader sweep of Belmont Abbey in the Southeast Super Regional on Friday, May 26. North Greenville picked up a 16-8 win in the opening game before claiming the best-of-three series with a 10-7 game two victory. 

Nationally top-ranked North Greenville enters the 2023 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship with a 49-9 record. Belmont Abbey closes out its season at 41-18. The 41 wins is the most for Belmont Abbey under head coach Chris Anderson. 

The 2023 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship will be contested June 3-10 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. 

Game One: North Greenville 16, Belmont Abbey 8 (Box Score)

North Greenville scored the first 10 runs of the game over the course of the first four innings before eventually emerging with the eight-run victory. 

Belmont Abbey was finally able to get on the scoreboard in the first game in the top of the fifth, but despite plating eight runs in its next four at-bats as a team, the strong start allowed North Greenville, who still scored six runs during the same stretch in the latter innings, to collect the victory. 

North Greenville out-hit Belmont Abbey, 19-11, in the game. North Greenville scored in all but one inning in the contest. 

Five different players for North Greenville finished with multiple hits with Pat Monteith going 5-of-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored. He was one of two players with two home runs in the game with John Michael Faile belting two home runs while going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. North Greenville had seven home runs as a team in the game.

Belmont Abbey was led by leadoff hitter Connor Powell, who was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. 

North Greenville starting pitcher Reece Fields (13-3) earned the win by dealing the first six innings. He struck out eight. Belmont Abbey starter Alex Sniffen (5-4) suffered the loss. He struck out three in pitching the first four innings of the game for Belmont Abbey. 

Game Two: North Greenville 10, Belmont Abbey 7 (Box Score)

Another two home run game by Faile in game two was the difference with the NCAA Division II all-time career home run leader propelling North Greenville to the three-run win.

Belmont Abbey owned a 5-3 lead through two innings, but in the top of the fourth a three-run shot from Faile garnered North Greenville a 6-5 lead. Belmont Abbey would tie things up in the bottom of fifth when Connor Tucker singled in Ben Ferguson to even the game at 6-6. 

The game would remain 6-6 until the top of the ninth when a Faile two-run home run put North Greenville ahead 8-6. Jalen Vasquez added another two-run home run shortly thereafter for North Greenville to make it 10-6. Belmont Abbey would get one run back in the bottom of the ninth to set the final score at 10-7. 

North Greenville’s Michael Rodriquez (5-0) closed the door in the bottom of the ninth to earn the win on the mound. Rodriquez struck out three in his three innings on the mound. Drew Stegura (6-1) suffered the loss for Belmont Abbey on the mound. Belmont Abbey starter Grant Lohmeier dealt the first 7.2 innings, striking out five.