ANDERSON, SC--On a perfect day for any outdoor activity, the AU Trojans softball team welcomed Belmont Abbey to Smethers Field with a big stick, as AU took the first game of a Saturday doubleheader 9-1 in 5 innings. Playing the second game a little tighter to the vest, AU lost a heartbreaker in 10 innings to the Lady Crusaders 7-5. Emily Monteith led the Trojans out of the gate, as she smashed a 2-2 fastball over the left field wall for a grand-slam. A 7 run first was all the Lady Trojans needed as the game one ended on the five inning mercy rule 9-1. Game two was different in every way. Belmont Abbey came out of the gate looking like a completely different team. They touched up Trojan pitcher Katie Van Gieson early with a two-run first inning. But the Trojans picked her up in the bottom of the 2nd getting back two as Lora Daniel and Emily Monteith got on base to get two across home plate. Van Gieson recovered only allowing 1 run over the next three innings. The game went back and forth, and with the Trojans bringing up the meat of their order in the fourth and the score tied at 4 apiece, the Lady Crusaders brought on Freshman pitcher Danielle Puckett. Puckett threw lights out and had the Trojan hitters off balance the rest of the day. Kinsley Durham put in a great effort, as she made Puckett work during an at-bat in the bottom of the 6th, forcing her to throw 12 pitches. But after Puckett rang up Durham with her 3rd K of the inning, the Trojans could only muster one more run. Belmont Abbey went ahead in the top of the tenth and Puckett finished the game in bottom half with a 1-2-3 inning. The Lady Trojans are now 13-12 overall and 3-3 in conference Carolinas play. AU will host Georgia Southwestern out of the Peach Belt Conference on Monday with first pitch set for 3:00pm and 4:30 at Smethers Field.