Box Score
Jackson, MS-The Belhaven baseball team held off upset minded Loyola University on Friday night defeating the Wolfpack by a final of 8-7 in game one of a three game Gulf Coast Athletic Conference series at Smith Wills Stadium. The Blazers are now 22-10 overall and 14-7 in the GCAC while Loyola drops to 7-21 overall and 5-15 in league play.

 

Belhaven scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first on just one hit. An error by Jeffrey David opened the door for the pair of unearned runs. Lake Eiland reached base on the error with one out and came in to score on a double by Timmy Foster. Brent Hudson then sent a sac fly into left to plate Foster for the 2-0 lead.

 

The Wolfpack answered back in the top of the second with two runs of their own to tie the game. Taylor Domengeaux hit a two out single to right field and picked up both RBI's in the inning. Loyola then grabbed the lead in top of the fourth on a David RBI groundout making the score 3-2 in favor of the Wolfpack.

 

The Blazers fought back in the bottom of the sixth taking away the lead by putting three runs on the board. Craig Dean was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and then Brian McCormick drew a walk to put runners on first and second base. Shawn Diehl followed with an infield single and just like that the bases were loaded.

 

Chanse Cooper got the first RBI of the inning reaching safely on a fielder's choice that brought in Dean from third. An attempt to get the force out at second base on Diehl was unsuccessful and the bases remained loaded. Eiland then lifted a sac fly into center field to bring in the courtesy runner Chad Howard and Foster shot a sac fly into right center to score Diehl giving the Blazers a 5-3 advantage.

 

Loyola wouldn't go away as they stormed back in the top of the seventh and eighth innings with a pair of runs in each frame to take the lead. Matt Wendt tied the game in the seventh on a double off of relief pitcher Riley Galloway which plated two runs that were charged to the starter Golden Grasse. The runs in the eighth came in on a throwing error by Diehl and a base hit by Bryan Lavoie.

 

Belhaven trailed 7-5 going into the bottom of the eighth inning but managed to scrape together three runs to take the lead and eventually win the game. Cooper and Eiland were both retired to begin the inning, but Foster kept things alive with a single up the middle. Craig Westcott was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.

 

Loyola then brought in their third pitcher of the night Trey Campeaux who uncorked a wild pitch sending Foster to third and pinch runner Mark Gray to second. Hudson reached on a walk and Charlie Edwards had an infield single to plate Foster pulling the Blazers to within one at 7-6. Dean then coaxed a walk allowing Gray to score the tying run. In an attempt to catch Dean napping at first base, the catcher Wendt threw a low throw down to first base which got through the first basemen allowing Hudson to score the go ahead run.

 

Kyle Medley shut the door on the Wolfpack in the ninth collecting his 11^th save of the season as the Blazers held on for the win 8-7. Golden Grasse pitched the first 6.2 innings giving up five runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Galloway was credited with the win in relief to go to 3-1 on the year. Campeaux took the loss for the Wolfpack.

 

Timmy Foster led the Blazer offense with a 2 for 4 night at the plate and 2 RBI's. Cooper, Eiland, Hudson, Edwards, and Dean also had an RBI each. Edwards joined Foster with 2 hits in 3 official at bats on the night. Wendt and Domengeaux each had 2 RBI's to pace the Wolfpack offense.