Box Score
Mobile, AL-Brandt Hinton turned in another strong pitching performance on Friday night as the Belhaven baseball team took game one of a three game Gulf Coast Athletic Conference series at Spring Hill College 6-2. Hinton tossed his third complete game of the season allowing only two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts improving to 8-0 on the year. The Blazers also turned a season high three double plays including a pair of 1-6-3 double plays.

Belhaven (29-10, 18-5 GCAC), ranked 15th in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll, appeared to have the makings of a big inning in the top of the first inning loading the bases with nobody out against Spring Hill starting pitcher David Dupuy. However, Dupuy escaped any major damage by getting Timmy Foster to hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Drew Dillard, who dropped down a bunt single to open the frame, scored on the play to make it 1-0 Belhaven. Dupuy then struck out Brandon Benton to get out the jam and keep it a 1-0 contest.

Belhaven got to Dupuy again in the third inning for another run as Shawn Diehl legged out an infield single, stole second and third base, and crossed the plate on a Jimmy Gilford single to left field. Spring Hill (23-17, 12-12 GCAC) answered with a run in the bottom of the third as Kendell Carvin doubled and then scored on a throwing error by Diehl cutting the Blazer edge to 2-1. Belhaven took control of the game with three runs in the fifth inning driving Dupuy from the contest. Gilford hit a two run single to right field and then Lake Eiland shot a run scoring base hit up the middle that chased home Gilford for a 5-1 Belhaven advantage.

The Blazers did not score in the sixth or seventh inning, but added an insurance tally in the eighth. Paul Moreno doubled down the right field line and with two outs Craig Dean came up with a clutch hit to drive Moreno in from third base. The Badgers plated a run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Bobby Voss that cashed in Carvin trimming the Blazer lead to 6-2. However, Hinton battled back to get out of the eighth and closed the door in the ninth to notch the victory.

Gilford led Belhaven at the dish going 2 for 2 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Dean and Eiland both had a pair of hits and an RBI each. Diehl ended the night with three hits in four at bats boosting his season batting average to .412. Dean leads the Blazers in batting with a .432 average following Friday night's game. As a team, Belhaven has an NAIA best 27 triples as Diehl and Jordan Brewer collected three baggers in Friday's game. Diehl also swiped three bases and has a team high 20 steals in 22 attempts.

Dupuy was saddled with the loss for Spring Hill dropping his record to 3-5 in 2010. Dupuy allowed five of the six runs in 4.1 innings on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Jeff Keenum gave up the other run as he went 4.2 innings allowing six hits while striking out one. Carvin paced the Badger offense with a three for four night at the plate and two runs scored. Voss had the only RBI of the night for Spring Hill.

Belhaven will wrap up their three game Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Series at Spring Hill College on Saturday afternoon. The first pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1:00 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 12:45 PM.