Box Score
Jackson, MS-The Belhaven baseball team, ranked 16th in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll, lost 18-11 at NCAA Division II Delta State University on Tuesday night in a game dominated by the offenses. It was the third straight game that a Blazer opponent has scored 16 or more runs. The Statesman pounded out 12 total hits and drew 10 walks while Belhaven collected eight hits as a team and induced five walks.

Belhaven (26-10) led 1-0 after a half inning when Timmy Foster went deep for the third time this season with a two out solo home run over the right center field wall. Delta State (21-10-1) then tied the game in the bottom of the first with an unearned run on an error by Craig Dean. In the top of the third, the Blazers recaptured a 4-1 edge scoring three times on one hit. Delta State committed a pair of costly errors which opened the door for all three runs. Drew Dillard stole home, but Belhaven did not tally any RBI's in the third.

Delta State jumped ahead for the first time in their half of the third on a grand slam by Josh Gordon after Chris Bennett walked the bases loaded with one out. Leading 5-4, the Statesman added two runs in the fourth and five in the fifth to take a commanding 12-4 advantage. However, Belhaven brought themselves right back into the game with a six spot in the sixth. Lake Eiland delivered an RBI single and with the bases juiced Foster blasted his second home run of the game and fourth of the season over the left center field wall to cut the deficit to 12-10.

As was the case all night, Delta State had an answer and in the bottom of the sixth essentially put the game away with six more runs to make it an 18-10 lead. The Blazers picked up their 11th run of the game in the eighth on a fielder's choice by Foster, but that would be the last time a Blazer would cross home plate as Delta State went on to the 18-11 win.

Chris Bennett suffered the loss for Belhaven and falls to 2-3 in 2010 after allowing six runs on two hits allowed. Bennett struggled with his control as he gave up six walks in 3.1 innings of work. The Blazers used seven different pitchers, but none seemed to have an answer for the Statesman offense. Andy Kuehn, Ryan Kassab, and Alan McHenry were charged with the other runs in Tuesday's game.

Foster led the Belhaven offense with six runs batted in on a 3 for 5 night at the plate. Foster now has a team high 42 RBI's this season. Shawn Diehl was two for three with an RBI while Eiland went one for three in the night with a run batted in.

Jeffrey Vance earned the win for Delta State in relief pitching 2.1 innings allowing just two hits while striking out two. Josh Gordon paced the 18th ranked (NCAA II) Statesman on offense with 5 RBI's with four coming on the grand slam home run. Chris Escobar and Chase Blanchard had 3 RBI's while Cade Hoggard and Billy Ray Todd added two runs batted in apiece.

Belhaven will try and regroup Wednesday night when they return home to face Union University (TN) at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Blazers lost the first meeting between the two schools this season 4-3 in 11 innings back on March 16th in Jackson, TN. The first pitch is slated for 6:00 PM and all the live play-by-play action can be heard via Stretch internet through the Belhaven Athletics website beginning with the pregame show at 5:45 PM.