Box Score
Jackson, MS-Chanse Cooper's two run double in the bottom of the fifth inning propelled the Belhaven baseball team to a 2-1 win over McKendree University in the Belhaven Invitational Friday night at Smith Wills Stadium. The Blazers are now 11-4 on the season and have won five games in a row. The Bearcats are now 0-5 to begin the season.

                           

The game was scoreless through the first two innings with solid pitching on both sides. The Bearcats got on the board first in the top of the third inning when Adam Davinroy doubled down the right field line to bring home Dusty Schallenberg for the games first run. The Blazers could not muster anything in their half of the inning off of McKendree starting Nolan Martz.

 

Belhaven would get their only two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead that would stand up for the rest of the game. With one out in the inning, Austin Fagan and Brian McCormick drew back to back walks. Shawn Diehl then hit a sacrifice bunt to move them into scoring position. That set the stage for Cooper's double that brought in Fagan and the pinch runner Mark Gray.

 

Belhaven starting pitcher Paul Faulkenberry pitched the first six innings and kept the Bearcats off balance the entire game. Faulkenberry recorded eight strikeouts and surrendered just four hits in his second win of the season. Kyle Medley pitched the seventh inning and recorded his sixth save this season. Medley notched a couple strikeouts in his one inning of relief work.

 

Offensively, the Blazers were led by Cooper who went 2 for 3 with two RBI's. Lake Eiland and Austin Fagan had the other two Blazer hits.