Box Score
Cleveland, TN-The Belhaven baseball team suffered their first postseason loss on Wednesday night at the hands of Lee University by a final of 7-4. The Flames (49-12) turned the tide in the contest with a four run fifth to reclaim the lead after the Blazers had gained a 3-2 advantage in the top of the fifth. The Blazers (42-19) had chances to score more runs loading the bases twice with no one out, but could only muster a run out of those opportunities.

                                        

The game was scoreless through the first two innings as Belhaven's Craig Westcott and Lee's Joel Matthews kept the opposing teams offense in check. The Flames cracked the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the third to gain the early advantage. Westcott walked Trey Burstrom and gave up a single to Brian Bistagne to open the inning and Lee executed a double steal putting runners at second and third. Chris Warters drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to left field and Julian Alvarez doubled home the second run on a line drive to deep left field.

 

Belhaven quickly countered with a run in the top of the fourth to make it a 2-1 game. Westcott singled to lead off the inning and Timmy Foster followed suit to put runners on first and second. Brent Hudson induced a walk and a passed ball by the catcher Chris Dubon allowed courtesy runner Mark Gray to score. The Blazers loaded the bases again on a walk to Charlie Edwards, but Craig Dean fouled out to first and Brian McCormick hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning as Matthews escaped having allowed just one run.

 

Westcott worked a scoreless fourth and the Blazers came back in the top of the fifth to plate two runs and take the lead. Chanse Cooper reached base on an error by Burstrom and made it to second on a wild throw by Warters after he was caught stealing. Lake Eiland flared a single to center, but Cooper had to stay at second to make sure the ball wouldn't be caught and so the Blazers had men on first and second with one out. Belhaven then executed a double steal and a wild throw by Dubon opened the door for Cooper to cross the plate and tie the game. Eiland went to third on the play and was sent home on an RBI ground out by Westcott giving the Blazer a 3-2 lead.

 

Unfortunately, the lead did not last long as Lee got to Westcott in the bottom of the fifth with four runs on four hits. Tanner Moore doubled to left to plate Burstrom, who had walked and stole second to start the inning. Bistagne, who singled earlier and went to third on the double by Moore, came home on a sac fly by Waters as Lee reclaimed the lead at 4-3. Alvarez cashed in Moore with a base hit and scored on Elvis Sosa's single to shallow right. Riley Galloway then came in to pitch and closed the door, but the damage had already been done as Lee headed into the sixth with a 6-3 lead.

 

Belhaven had a chance to get back in the game in the seventh by loading the bases with nobody out on a single by McCormick, a walk to Shawn Diehl, and a base hit off the bat of Cooper. However, Pablo Lopez was called in from the bullpen and got Eiland to pop out, Westcott to fly out to left field, and fanned Foster to get out of the jam.

 

Lee tacked on an insurance run in the eighth and held off a late rally by the Blazers in the ninth to secure the win. Belhaven got a run on a base hit by Diehl and a double by Eiland down the left field line to cut the deficit to three runs at 7-4. However, it's the closest they would get as Sosa went on to close out the game and get his 10^th save of the year.

 

Westcott suffered just his fourth loss of the season going 4.1 innings allowing six runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Galloway did a great job of keeping Belhaven in the game by working 3.2 innings surrendering only one run on one hit. Matthews got the win for Lee with six innings on the mound with three runs on four hits.

 

Eiland led the Blazer offense with two hits and an RBI while Westcott had a hit and the only other run batted in for the Blazers. Cooper picked up two more stolen bases and now has 39 on the season. Warters and Alvarez had two RBI's each to pace the Lee offense. Bistagne, Alvarez, and Sosa led the Flames in hits with two apiece. As a team, the Flames stole eight bases against Belhaven in Wednesday's contest.