Box Score Game 1        Box Score Game 2
Jackson, MS-It was a tough night for the Belhaven baseball team losing both games of a doubleheader to Union University (TN) Wednesday night at Smith Wills Stadium. The Blazers dropped game one by a final of 2-0 and lost game two 5-2. Belhaven's overall record now stands at 26-14 while the Bulldogs improve to 21-10 on the year.

 

All the offense in game one came in the top of the second when Union scored the only two runs of the contest. Belhaven starting pitcher Golden Grasse worked in and out of trouble in the first inning, but wasn't as fortunate in the second. Grasse walked Grant Luke to begin the inning and then gave up a base hit to Cole McAdams putting runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt was executed by Clint Barnes to move both runners into scoring position setting up a two run single by Allen Williams to put the Bulldogs on top 2-0.

 

Grasse would settle down inducing a double play from Danny Grimm to get out of the inning and kept the Bulldogs off the board the rest of the way. Unfortunately, Union pitcher Andrew Haley and the defense kept the Blazers off the board and made the two runs stand up for the win. Belhaven's only hit in the game came off the bat of Craig Dean on a single to left field in the fourth inning.

 

Haley pitched all seven innings holding the Blazers to one hit while recording three strikeouts to pick up the win and go to 3-1 on the season. Grasse also pitched well for the Blazers, but took the loss dropping his record to 2-1 in 2009. Grasse went the distance allowing two runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts.

 

Union got on top early in game two by plating two runs off Blazer starter Riley Galloway to jump out in front. A double by Corey Rudolph and a single by Grant Luke brought in the first two runs for the Bulldogs. Belhaven countered with a run in the bottom of the first when Timmy Foster reached base on a two out walk and came home on Craig Westcott's double to the gap in left center. For Westcott, it was his 45 RBI and ninth two bagger of the season.

 

The Bulldogs added a run in the second when Josh Jones was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Courtesy runner Derek Blackwood went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Kirksey and crossed the plate on a single by Danny Grimm to make the score 3-1. Galloway got out of the inning and pitched well over the next three innings to keep Union off the board.

 

The Blazers pulled to within a run in the bottom of the fourth by getting a run without the aid of a base hit. Westcott started the inning with a walk and was pinch run for by Mark Gray who stole second base to get into scoring position. Two wild pitches by Bulldog starter Greg Harrington opened the door for Gray to come home making the score 3-2.

Chris Bennett came on in relief of Galloway in the sixth and surrendered a run on a pair of hits by Union. Clint Barnes tripled to right on a ball that got over the head of Foster and came in on a sacrifice fly by Kirksey to left center. The Bulldogs then added one more insurance run in the seventh when McAdams tripled and scored on a double to right center by Kirksey.

 

Harrington and Union relief pitcher Brad Davis would not allow another run the rest of the way to preserve the 5-2 win. Harrington pitched six innings and was charged with two runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts to earn the win and go to 2-1 on the season. Davis worked the final inning for his first save of the year. Galloway took the loss for Belhaven falling to 3-2 in 2009. Galloway allowed three runs on seven hits with a couple of strikeouts over the first five innings of the game.

 

Offensively, Cooper and Westcott had two hits apiece followed by Edwards with one base hit for Belhaven. Westcott had the Blazers only RBI in the contest. Grimm, Rudolph, and McAdams each had two hits for Union and Kirksey led the Bulldogs with two RBI's.