Box Score
Hattiesburg, MS-The Belhaven baseball team defeated LSU-Shreveport on Saturday night 9-2 to advance to Monday's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship game against the University of Mobile who topped Spring Hill earlier in the day 8-5. The Blazers improve to 39-18 while the Pilots fall to 41-14 in 2009 and were eliminated from the tournament. LSU-Shreveport had beaten the host team and number one seed William Carey 13-8 earlier in the day to setup Saturday's matchup with the Blazers.

 

Belhaven's Kyle Hunt turned in another outstanding pitching performance for the Blazers firing the first six innings allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Hunt earned his seventh win against just two defeats on the season. Korey Kottenbrook pitched well, but suffered the loss allowing three runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings on the mound.

                                                       

The Belhaven offense provided plenty of run support with three separate three run innings off LSU-Shreveport pitching. The Blazers scored the first trio of runs in the third on a two run home run by Lake Eiland, which was his sixth of the season. Shawn Diehl led the inning off with a base hit and was on base for Eiland's blast over the left field fence. Craig Westcott reached base on an error by Kyle Lawarence and came across the plate on an RBI groundout by Charlie Edwards after the Blazers loaded the base with one out.

 

The Pilots cut the lead to one with a pair of runs in the sixth to climb right back in the game. Brent Lavallee double home a run and a wild pitch by Hunt allowed the second run to score in the sixth. With runners on first and third, Hunt got a groundout by Chase Wentz to end the inning and preserve the lead. The groundout may have been the turning point in the game because momentum at that point was beginning to shift to LSU-Shreveport.

 

The Blazers answered with three more runs in the seventh and took control of the game on a pair of hits and another costly error. Brent Hudson got on base to start the inning on a wild throw to first by Jeffrey Garidel and made it to third on a double down the left field line by Charlie Edwards. With runners on second and third, Craig Dean stepped to the plate and launched a two run double off the base of the right field wall to chase home Hudson and Edwards.

 

Belhaven proceeded to put runners on the corners with one out and a squeeze bunt by Chanse Cooper was executed to perfection as Dean came home to make it a 6-2 Belhaven lead. The Blazers picked up their final three runs in the eighth after two men were out    when Edwards walked, Dean singled and on a base hit by McCormick a wild throw home by Chase Wentz opened the door for Edwards to score after being initially held at third base. Pilot relief pitcher Richard Pharr uncorked a wild pitch bringing in Dean and Diehl singled home the third run on his fourth hit of the night extending the advantage to 9-2.

 

Following two solid innings of relief pitching by Joe Patterson, Golden Grasse closed out the ninth for the Blazers sending Belhaven to the championship game. Eiland and Dean each had 2 RBI's for the Blazers followed by Cooper, Edwards, and Diehl with an RBI each. Dean had three hits and Diehl led Saturday's hit parade going 4 for 4 at the plate in what was one of his best games of the season. Craig Barnes had the only run batted in for LSUS while Quinton Shamsabady had the only multi hit game for the Pilots with a pair of singles.