Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
Shreveport, LA-The Belhaven baseball team split a doubleheader at LSU-Shreveport on Saturday afternoon losing game one 15-1 while coming back for a victory in game two of the day 13-8. The Blazers, who are ranked 12th in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 Poll, took two out of three games this weekend including an 8-7 upset win in 12 innings against 7th ranked Oklahoma City University Friday night. LSU-Shreveport is one spot behind Belhaven in the preseason poll at number 13.

Game One
The first game of the day was all LSU-Shreveport as the Pilots produced 15 runs to win the game in five innings. Pitcher Cody Boutte set the tone in the top of the first inning as he struck out the side and gave the Pilots a quick inning on defense. LSU-Shreveport (5-6) scored six times in their half of the inning to take an early 6-0 lead. Belhaven (5-1) pitcher Brett Blaise, who performed very well in his first outing of the season, struggled on Saturday as he walked four and hit a batter lasting just two thirds of an inning. The Pilots scored all their runs with just one hit and an error by second baseman Matt Discon caused two of the runs to be unearned. Curtis Beaudoin had the only hit and it was a three run double to left field.

LSU-Shreveport added three more runs in the third and then put the game away in the bottom of the fourth with six more runs. Belhaven avoided being shutout with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Drew Dillard delivered a one out RBI single that plated Jimmy Gilford who was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. The Blazers were then held scoreless in the fifth and the 10 run rule went into effect in the scheduled seven inning game.

Dillard went one for two at the plate with a run batted in while Anthony Doss, Tyler Wrinkle, Jordan Brewer, and Alex also collected a hit apiece as the Blazers had only five hits in the first game. Blaise was charged with the loss on the mound allowing six runs with four being earned on one hit. He walked four and did not strikeout a batter as his record drops to 1-1 on the season. Pitcher Brandon McHenry, Mark Husband, and Graham Upshaw all made appearances and each one gave up three runs. Husband's runs were unearned due to a Dillard error in the fourth.

LSU-Shreveport was paced by Beaudoin at the dish who went one for two with four runs batted in. Codey Causey, who was a defensive replacement for the Pilots, came up with two hits and two RBI's. Ridge Gonsoulin drove home a pair of runners on one hit as well. Boutte worked all five innings on the mound striking out seven en route to his first win of the season.

Game Two
The Blazer bats came alive in the second game as the team unleashed a season high 15 hits and 13 runs. Belhaven jumped in front in the top of the first on a two run double by Dillard that chased home Doss and Eiland who hit back to back two out singles to keep the inning alive for Dillard. The Pilots answered back in the bottom of the inning as pitcher Golden Grasse walked the bases loaded with two outs and hit Justin Brodnax to bring home a run and make it a 2-1 game.

Neither team scored in the second, but Belhaven added three more runs in the top of the third off LSUS starter Ben Suit. Doss brought in the first run on a RBI single to left field and then Dillard came through again with another run scoring hit this time a single to center field. The Dillard base knock drove Suit from the game as the Pilots called in Jacob Kight from the bullpen. Kight then uncorked a wild pitch allowing Doss to score the third run of the inning and make it a 5-1 game.

LSU-Shreveport quickly answered in their half of the third with three runs to pull back to within one run at 5-4. Catcher Andrew Brouillette hit a two run homer off Grasse and then Kevin Smith smacked a solo home run to right field. Alan McHenry came on in relief of Grasse to get the Blazers out of the inning.

Belhaven produced another big inning plating four more runs in the top of the fourth to answer the three spot put up by the Pilots. Ryan Saunders got things started by unloading his first home run of the season over the right field wall. Gilford then cleared the bases with his first big fly of the season which posted the other three runs giving Belhaven a 9-4 lead through three and a half frames. The Blazers tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh on a three run homer by Tortorich and then in the eighth it was touch them all time for Paul Moreno who smacked his first home run of the season over the right field fence to make it 13-4.

Things got a little interesting in the ninth as LSU-Shreveport closed the gap a bit with four runs off reliever Sean Kelly. Kelly retired the first two batters, but then an error by Dillon Berry who had come into play first base gave the Pilots an extra out. Brodnax and Gonsoulin had RBI singles, Stephen Hobbins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Kelly had a throwing error to allowing the fourth run of the inning. Kelley was finally able to strike out Causey looking to end the game and preserve the win and the doubleheader split.

Dillard came up big for the Blazers at the plate with two more hits and three runs batted in. Dillard is off to a hot start this season as he leads the team with a .455 batting average and 12 runs batted in. Dillard has 10 hits in 22 at bats including three doubles and a triple. Gilford also tallied three runs batted in with two more hits in game two which boosted his season average to .368 with six RBI. Tortorich also had three runs batted on the three run shot in the seventh inning. Gilford, Berry, and Brewer each swiped a base in Saturday's second game.

The Blazers had three more doubles as Dillard, Eiland, and Tyler Wrinkle picked up two baggers. Jordan Brewer added a triple and Belhaven hitters slugged four home runs. Belhaven has 19 extra base hits this year with eight doubles, seven triples, and four home runs.

Grasse started and pitched the first 2.1 innings allowing four runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. McHenry had a solid outing in relief and did not allow a run over a span of 4.2 innings. McHenry did not walk a batter and struck out three as he was credited with his second win of the season running his record to 2-0. Kiel Higginbotham pitched one scoreless frame and Kelly closed out the game in the ninth.

Brouillette led the offense for LSU-Shreveport going 2 for 4 with two runs batted in. Hobbins also had two hits and an RBI followed by Brodnax who had one hit and two runs batted in. Chase Wentz paced the team in hits with three, but did not drive in any runs. The Pilots had 11 total hits in the game including four doubles and two home runs.

Suit was tagged with the loss for LSUS as he pitched 2.1 innings allowing five runs on eight hits. Kight gave up three runs in 0.2 innings while Cole Newell surrendered one run, Drew Middleton gave up three runs, and Jared Mortensen was touched for one run. Brodnaz was the only pitcher for LSUS to have a scoreless outing on the hill.

Belhaven will be back in action on Friday when they host McKendree University at 4:00 PM in the Belhaven Invitational at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Blazers will play McKendree again on Saturday at 1:00 PM before facing the defending NAIA National Champion Cumberland University at 4:00 PM. All the play-by-play action and live stats can be accessed by clicking here.