Box Score
Cleveland, MS-On a cold and windy day for baseball, the Belhaven baseball team traveled to Delta State University on Tuesday afternoon and came away with a 7-1 victory over the Statesmen. It was the Blazers sixth win of the season against just one defeat in 2009. Tuesday's contest was the first game of the season for the Statesmen who entered the year ranked first in the NCAA Division II preseason poll.

                                                           

The game was a pitchers duel through the first seven innings of play with the score tied at 1-1 going into the eighth inning. After the Blazers went down in order in the top of the first inning, Delta State scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the first when third baseman Kellen Boseman hit a two out single to bring home Clay Sartain from third base making it 1-0 Statesmen.

 

Belhaven got on the board in the fourth inning when Timmy Foster singled with one out to get the offense going. Foster was then forced out at second when Craig Westcott hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. Delta State pitcher Korey Cunningham then uncorked a wild pitch sending Westcott down to second with Craig Dean at the plate. Dean then shot a two out single into left field bringing in Westcott to tie the game at one a piece. Dean was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double to end the inning.

 

The Statesmen would mount scoring threats in the bottom of the fourth when David Mooney led off the inning with double and in the sixth with a one out single by Bozeman and a subsequent balk by Hinton moving him to second. However, each time Hinton stepped up and made some quality pitches to keep Delta State off the board. The Statesmen made a bid to regain the lead again in the seventh, putting runners on first and third, but once again Hinton battled to keep the game tied 1-1.

 

In the top of the eighth, Brian McCormick was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Lake Eiland then came to the plate and bunted the ball back to the mound. Pitcher Toby Easterly tried to get the force at second, but McCormick hustled up the line and beat Easterly's throw. Chanse Cooper followed with a textbook sacrifice bunt moving McCormick to third and Eiland to second.

 

It looked like Easterly might wiggle off the hook by striking out Shawn Diehl leaving runners at second and third with two outs. Timmy Foster came to the plate and fell behind in the count 0-2, but on the next pitch lined a two out single into left center field plating two runs. Westcott followed with a single and then Dean doubled down the right field line, driving home the third run of the inning giving the Blazers a 4-1 advantage.

 

Riley Galloway came in to relieve Hinton in the eighth and worked a scoreless inning to set up another three run frame by the Blazers. All three runs came with two outs and were unearned due to a key error by shortstop Devin Goodwin which gave Belhaven an extra out. Foster delivered again in the clutch blasting a two out double into left field with runners on second and third extending the Belhaven lead to 6-1. Westcott added another insurance run with a two out single up the middle sending home Cooper.

 

Galloway came back out for the ninth and slammed the door on the Statesmen to preserve the 7-1 Blazer victory and earn his first save of the season. Hinton earned his first victory of the year going the first seven innings allowing only one run on five hits. Easterly was tagged with his first loss of the season for Delta State.  

 

Offensively, Belhaven was paced by Foster who went 3 for 5 with four RBI'S. Dean had three hits in four at bats and added two RBI'S. Westcott got credit for the other run batted in, collecting two hits in five at bats.