BELMONT, N.C. – Julio Lara picked up three hits and Matt Buss got his first win as the Warriors defeated Belmont Abbey 4-2 in the first road game of the season for the Warriors.

Lara picked up a pair of RBI in the contest, the first coming in the two-run first inning as the Warriors took an early lead. Lara singled to left center to score Josh Shimp who singled earlier in the inning. Daniel Williams started the two-out rally with a single of his own and later scored on Johnny Ponder's base knock. The Warriors picked up four of their nine hits off of Harry Ferguson in the first inning.

The Crusaders answered with two of their own in the bottom of the frame as a pair of walks early in the inning came back to haunt Matt Buss. After walks to Lorenzo Wright and Ryan Allen to lead off the inning, Anthony Dimino singled to load the bases. Buss bounced back to get both Levi Wright and Nick Nunziato but Weston Clarked delivered a two-run single to tie the game.

Both starting pitchers – Buss and Ferguson – wiggled out of jams, Buss left the bases loaded in the third and Ferguson left two on in the fourth. In the fifth, Lara again delivered a run-scoring hit. Drew Carson led off the inning with a single and after a fly out Josh Shimp walked. After another fly out, Lara knocked in Carson with a single up the middle. The Warriors were unable to capitalize on an error as Luke Hostetler reached in the next at-bat, leaving the bases loaded.

In the seventh it was Shimp adding an insurance run with his first homer of the season, a blast to center on the first pitch of the at-bat.

Andrew Howard tossed three scoreless innings in relief, stranding five runners in the process, to set up Jordan Finster for his second save of the year. Finster gave up two hits but struck out two.

Matt Buss earned his first win of the year to improve to 1-2 with a five-inning effort. Buss gave up just the two first-inning runs and three hits. He walked five and struck out three.

Harry Ferguson (4-1) took the loss for the Crusaders after 6.1 innings of work. He allowed nine hits, four runs, three walks and three strikeouts.

The win broke a five-game losing streak.

The three-game series will wrap up on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to start at noon.