Box Score Game 1   Box Score Game 2
Jackson, MS-The Belhaven baseball team started the 2010 season in fine fashion Saturday afternoon by sweeping the University of Mobile in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader 6-3 in game one followed by an 8-5 victory in game two. Despite the tough weather conditions, the Blazers had solid pitching and came up with some big hits at the plate in route to the wins.

Game One
Brandt Hinton took the hill for Belhaven in game one and picked up right where he left off last season. Hinton was strong down the stretch for the Blazers in 2009 and fired six innings of three hit baseball while allowing one run to get the win. Hinton kept the Rams off balance through the first two innings and then the offense stepped up in the bottom of the second frame to put the Blazers on top.

With one out, Paul Moreno walked and then got into scoring position with his first stolen base of the season. Following a strikeout by Kyle Feazell, Craig Dean stepped to the plate and delivered a two out double off the base of the left field wall scoring Moreno from second to make it 1-0 Belhaven. Shawn Diehl then drove in Dean on a base hit to left extending the advantage to 2-0 through two innings of play.

Mobile got on the board for the first time in the top of the third after a pair of leadoff singles by Dustin Lee and Justin Beck put runners on first and second with nobody out. The Rams then loaded the bases with one out, but Hinton did a great job of limiting Mobile to only one run in the inning which came on an RBI groundout by Brad Sheffield making it a 2-1 Belhaven lead.

The Blazers picked up two more runs in the bottom of the fourth with the aid of just one hit. Moreno singled, went to third on a wild pitch, and then Feazell walked to put runners on the corners with one out. Mark Gray courtesy ran for Feazell and appeared to have been picked off by Michael Clay, but the Rams could not record an out as Gray slid in safely at second base and then Moreno took off for home and jarred the ball loose from catcher Nick Laico sliding into the glove and then across home plate for the Blazers third run. Gray would make it 4-1 when he came home on an error by the shortstop Cody Sanderson when he misplayed a ground ball off the bat of Diehl.

In the fifth inning, Belhaven added a pair of insurance runs on a bases loaded walk by Moreno and later Feazell picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice that sent Foster home from third base. In the top of the seventh, Belhaven brought in Andy Kuehn to close out the game on the mound. The Rams scratched together a pair of runs on a two run double by Cameron White down the right field line. However, Kuehn battled back to get Sheffield to end the game.

Moreno, Feazell, Diehl, and Dean each had RBI's while Diehl led the Belhaven offense in game one going two for three at the plate. Lee recorded a pair of hits at the dish for Mobile and White drove in two of the three Ram runs. Clay took the loss for Mobile working 4.1 innings allowing all six runs on six hits.

Game Two:
It didn't take long for Belhaven to get on the board in game two as they struck quickly with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Blazer starting pitcher Ryan Kassab shut down Mobile in the top half of the frame and a single by Drew Dillard setup a two run homer off the bat of Jimmy Guilford to make it 2-0 Belhaven. However, Mobile's Travis Williamson countered with a round tripper of his own when he blasted the first pitch from Kassab in the second inning over the left field wall cutting the Blazer advantage to one run.

Belhaven was aided by a pair of Mobile errors and tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Guilford had an RBI single that drove in a run and then a wild throw by the catcher Williamson sent home Dillard after he had gotten to third on a wild pitch. Belhaven continued to apply the pressure on offense and took advantage of more Mobile miscues with three more runs in the fourth inning. The Blazers loaded the bases and a walk to Eiland with the bases juiced brought in the first run of the inning. Third baseman Ben Negus then uncorked a wild throw on a ground ball by Timmy Foster as Guilford and Dillard both crossed the plate on the play.

The Rams then got a run back in the fifth inning on a single by Brady King driving home Negus. Mobile tallied two more runs in the sixth inning and closed the gap even further in the sixth on an inside the park home run by Barber making it 7-5 Blazers. Belhaven picked up their final run the seventh when Diehl led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a balk by relief pitcher Jarrin Brister, and then scored on a single by Dillard. The Blazer pitching staff did the rest as Alan McHenry, Chris Bennett and then Wade Broyles finished off the game securing the 8-5 Belhaven win.

Dillard went three for four at the plate with three runs scored to lead the Blazers in hits. Guilford had two hits and 3 RBI's while Diehl collected two hits on the afternoon. Kassab earned the win for Belhaven pitching the first five innings allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Chris Peacock was saddled with the loss allowing seven runs in three innings of work. Broyles picked up his first save of the season by working a scoreless ninth inning.

Belhaven will take the field again on Friday afternoon in game one of a three game series against Berry College in non-conference action at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Blazers will then play a double header against Berry Saturday afternoon. Friday's first pitch is slated for 3:00 PM. All the play-by-play action can be heard via Stretch Internet through the Belhaven Athletics website.