Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
New Orleans, LA-The Belhaven baseball team swept a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader at Loyola University on Friday night winning game one 12-6 followed by a 7-2 victory in the night cap. The Blazers, ranked 11th in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll, maintained their half game lead over LSU-Shreveport in the GCAC standings with one conference game to play. The Pilots upended the University of Mobile 5-4 and 18-1 in their Friday doubleheader.

Game One
Belhaven (38-13, 25-7 GCAC) didn't waste any time getting on the board early and often in game one of the day. The Blazers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Lake Eiland and then in the second Craig Dean launched his eighth home run of the season over the left field wall to make it 2-0 Belhaven. Three batters later Jimmy Gilford blasted a two run homer to left center scoring Drew Dillard and through two innings the Blazers enjoyed a 4-0 edge.

Belhaven added a run on a Loyola (15-27, 12-22 GCAC) error in the third and pinch runner Justin Hill crossed the plate in the fourth on a wild pitch by Wolfpack pitcher George Smith. Leading 6-0, it appeared that Belhaven had complete control of the game, but Loyola had a different idea. The Wolfpack got to Brandt Hinton for five runs on seven hits in the fourth to get right back into the contest at 6-5.

However, the Blazers regrouped with six runs in the top of the fifth to regain the momentum. Derek Tortorich doubled home a run, Dean along with courtesy runner Mark Gray scored on a Wolfpack error, Gilford delivered a sacrifice fly, and Timmy Foster had an RBI double to left field. It was Foster's 25 double of the year which ties the Belhaven single season record set by Thomas Royals during the 2007 season. Loyola picked up a run in the fifth, but Riley Galloway came in and closed the door and preserved the 12-6 Belhaven win.

Hinton improved to 11-0 on the season as he was credited with the win pitching 4.1 innings allowing all six runs on 12 hits. Galloway tossed 2.2 innings and walked just one batter without surrendering a run or a hit. Gilford went 3 for 4 at the plate with 3 RBI's while Eiland went one for three with two runs batted in. George Smith took the loss for the Wolfpack pitching four innings with nine runs on seven hits allowed dropping his record to 1-7 on the season.

Game Two
The Blazers got off to a quick start in game two with a run on the top of the first to gain the early lead. Brandon Benton came through with a clutch two out RBI double down the left field line scoring Gilford from second base. However, Loyola came back with two runs in the bottom of the frame on a home run by Ryan Scott to surge on top 2-1 against the Blazers and starting pitcher Chris Bennett.

Belhaven tied the score in the third on a leadoff home run by Eiland and gained the lead for good in the fourth on a two run homer by Dillard. Up 4-2 heading into the eighth, the Blazers put three more insurance runs on the board thanks to a sacrifice fly by Tortorich, an RBI fielder's choice by Dean, and a squeeze bunt by Shawn Diehl that produced the innings third run. Bennett faced two Wolfpack batters in the eighth before giving way to Wade Broyles who struck out the final six hitters to close out the game and give Belhaven a 7-2 win.

Bennett ended up pitching the first seven plus innings for the win and improved his record to 5-3 this season. Bennett was charged with two runs on five hits while walking three and striking out eight. Dillard led the Belhaven offense with two hits and two RBI's on his fifth home run of the year. Foster also had two more hits boosting his batting average to .392. Gilford also collected two hits in four official at bats. Eiland, Benton, Tortorich, Dean, and Diehl accounted for the other Belhaven RBI's.

Taylor Domengeaux pitched eight innings for Loyola in game two and allowed seven runs on 10 hits with a walk and four strikeouts and took the loss dropping his record to 5-3 this season. The Wolfpack could only muster five hits and Scott had the only run scoring hit in the contest with his home run in the first inning.

Belhaven will wrap up their three game Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Series at Loyola on Saturday afternoon. The first pitch of game three in the series 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.