Box Score vs Tennessee Wesleyan        Box Score vs Lee
Cleveland, TN-The 2009 season for the Belhaven baseball team came to an end on Thursday in the Field 5 championship game of the 2009 NAIA Baseball National Championship opening round with a loss to Lee University 22-4. The Blazers (43-20) had defeated Tennessee Wesleyan College 8-3 earlier in the day in an elimination game to advance to the championship contest. However, Belhaven couldn't sustain the momentum against the Flames (50-12) as their offense exploded for 22 runs on 27 hits.

 

Belhaven took an early lead against the Bulldogs (44-15) and never looked back in the first game of the afternoon for the Blazers. Belhaven pitcher Joe Patterson cruised through the first four innings without allowing a run while the offense staked him to a 3-0 lead. The Blazers got their first run in the second inning on back to back doubles by Timmy Foster and Brent Hudson. Hudson's double drove in Foster as he plugged the right center field gap against Tennessee Wesleyan pitcher Gabe Rios.

 

The Blazers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third with the first coming on Lake Eiland's eighth home run of the season which sailed over the left field wall to make the score 2-0. A walk to Craig Westcott, a walk to Foster, and a single by Hudson loaded the bases with one out in the inning. Charlie Edwards then came to the plate and a hit a ground ball to third that was misplayed by Tyler Moyneur allowing Westcott to cross the plate and extend the lead to 3-0. Edwards was credited with an RBI because a double play or an out at home cannot be assumed in that situation.

                                                              

The Bulldogs fought back in the top of the fifth with a run scoring single by Andrew Earl that sent home Moyneur from third base. Moyneur had led the inning off with a base hit, moved to second on a ground out by Eddie Van Es, and went to third on a balk by Patterson.

 

Tennessee Wesleyan then pulled even in the top of the sixth with two runs knotting the score at 3-3. Brandon Munsey had a controversial triple that appeared to be caught by Edwards, but popped out of his glove as he neared the wall and the umpire ruled that Edwards had not maintained possession long enough to record the out. Matt Stanley tripled in Munsey and crossed the plate on a sac fly off the bat of Allen Wimmer for the innings second run.

 

The Blazers answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own to retake the lead. Belhaven loaded the bases with one out and Westcott drew a free pass to bring in Shawn Diehl from third base, who made it on via a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. The Bulldogs brought in Jason Ferguson from the bullpen and Foster hit into a fielder's choice that was misplayed by Stanley allowing Chanse Cooper to race home making it a 5-3 Belhaven lead.

Cooper tripled home Craig Dean and Shawn Diehl in the seventh after Dean made it on with a base hit with Diehl reaching on an error by the pitcher Ferguson. Belhaven got their final run in the eighth on another misplayed ground ball, this time by Munsey at short. McCormick hit the ball back up the middle and Hudson crossed the plate on the play and just like that it was 8-3.

 

Golden Grasse, who came on to pitch with two outs in the seventh, worked the final 2.1 innings and earned the save preserving the win for Patterson and the Blazers. Patterson finishes the season with a 6-2 record after going the first 6.2 innings allowing three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.

 

Eiland had two hits and an RBI with Cooper adding a hit and two runs batted in. Westcott, Hudson, Edwards, and McCormick also recorded an RBI each. Hudson and Cooper each stole a base in Belhaven's victory over Tennessee Wesleyan. Stanley, Wimmer, and Earl accounted for the runs batted in for the Bulldogs with one apiece.

 

Lee University left no doubt about the outcome of the championship game as they exploded out of the gate early and never looked back in route to the victory. The Flames set the tone in the first inning as Brian Bistagne and Tanner Moore opened the inning with singles off starting pitcher Chris Bennett. Chris Warters then cleared the bases with a three run homer to right and the Flames were off and rolling.

 

Lee scored single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings and put the game away in the fifth with a six spot to build a 12-2 advantage. The Flames added one in the seventh, six more in the eighth and three in the ninth following a 50 minute lighting delay prior to the start of the ninth inning. The Blazers scored single runs in the first, second, sixth, and seventh innings. Cooper, Foster, Edwards, and Fagan each had one RBI on the night. McCormick led the team in hits with three followed by Cooper, Foster, and Hudson with two apiece.

 

Bennett suffered the loss and was charged with eight runs on nine hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Bennett finishes the 2009 season with a record of 3-1. Dave Mason got the win for Lee pitching the first six innings allowing three runs on six hits a walk and seven strikeouts.