ANDERSON, SC--When the Anderson University baseball team produced a two-run fourth inning, capped off by a one-run fifth to take a 4-2 lead over the Belmont Abbey Crusaders on Saturday in game one of a three-game Conference Carolinas series, spirits were high for Alumni Day at Memorial Stadium; but Belmont Abbey recaptured the lead with a three-run seventh, and led every inning that would follow for the rest of the weekend. AU lost their sixth, seventh, and eighth games in a row this weekend--8-5 and 6-3 on Saturday and 4-1 on Sunday. The losses drop the Trojans under .500 for the first time this season (16-18, 5-8), but there is time to salvage a season that started for many with such high hopes. With 18 regular season games remaining, 9 conference and 9 non-conference, AU will play 7 of their last 8 games at Memorial Stadium. In a game so wrought with streaks, the Trojans are in desperate need of a different one. The Trojans were led over the weekend by senior first baseman/pitcher, Blair Carson. He went 4-7 with a run and 2 RBI on Saturday. On Sunday Carson took to the mound, and pitched a strong 6 2/3 innings. After allowing 3 earned, the senior calmed down and racked up 10 K's on only one walk. Catcher Trent Still played DH in the game one and was 1-4 with an RBI; Derek Hipp contributed solidly on Saturday as he went 5-7 with 2 runs and an RBI. The Trojans got a pretty solid outing from senior righty, Chris Pitts, as he threw 6 1/3 innings only allowing 6 hits on 4 K's; but when Belmont Abbey hit the ball, they hit it hard--on 8 hits in game one, the Crusaders had 5 doubles and a homerun. The Crusaders' starters were able to go deep into both outings on Saturday, as right hander Tyler Powell pitched 8 innings to collect the win in game one, and lefty Andrew Morton tossed a complete 7 inning game in the second of the doubleheader. Belmont Abbey pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts, 11 coming from Andrew Morton in game two. The Trojans will try to put it back together this week as they head down the season's home stretch. Wednesday afternoon AU heads to the mountains of North Carolina to visit future South Atlantic Conference opponent Brevard at Gil Coan Field. In an earlier meeting this year at Memorial Stadium, the Trojans had hot bats, and they beat the Tornadoes 14-3. At a watershed point in the season, a big win on the road could serve as the tourniquet coach Joe Miller and his Trojan baseball team need to get things turned around. NCAA National Rankings