Box Score vs. Oklahoma City Box Score vs. Oklahoma Christian
Farmer's Branch, TX-The Belhaven softball team picked up two more key wins on the second day of the St. Gregory's University Invitational in Farmer's Branch, TX Saturday afternoon. The Blazers upended 10th ranked Oklahoma City University in game one of the day 2-1 and then toppled Oklahoma Christian University 2-1 in game two of the afternoon. The Blazers, ranked 12th in the NAIA Preseason Poll, are off to a great start in 2011 with a 7-2 record.
Belhaven vs. Oklahoma City
Belhaven was the home team in the scorebook for their showdown with 10th ranked Oklahoma City and it proved to be a pitchers dual. The Blazers and Stars traded runs in the third inning as Lavelle homered for Oklahoma City and Katie Sanders, who singled to lead off the Belhaven third, came home on an Annalee Carr sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the seventh, Rian O'Bannon drove a single to center field with the bases loaded chasing home Kayla Maldonado for the game winning run.
Lizzy Hess had two hits for Belhaven while Maldonado and Sanders each had one hit and a run scored. O'Bannon had a hit and run batted in and Carr also came up with an RBI. As a team, Belhaven collected five hits and played an errorless game. Sarah Burns went the distance for the Blazers allowing just one run on seven hits. Burns walked one and struck out five as she earned the win in the circle and improved her record to 4-2 this season.
Lavelle had two hits and a home run to lead Oklahoma City at the plate while Joyner also had two hits in the contest. Lavelle took the loss as she worked 6.1 innings giving up two runs on five hits with three walks and 12 strikeouts.
Belhaven vs. Oklahoma Christian
The Blazers pulled out another late inning win in the final game of the tournament picking up a run in both the fifth and six innings. Oklahoma Christian put up an unearned run in the top of the fifth when Deidre Chatigny singled home Taylor Renshaw after the inning was extended on a Rebecca Rousseau error. Belhaven answered in the bottom of the fifth when Rachel Wright blasted here third home run of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Then in the bottom of the sixth, the Blazers manufactured the winning run as Sanders walked to open the inning, Hess executed a sacrifice bunt, and Christina Jaques singled home pinch runner Jessica Paris from second base for the go ahead score.
Jaques led Belhaven at the plate going 2 for 3 with an RBI while O'Bannon, Carr, Maldonado, and Wright all had a hit apiece. Jaques also picked up her eighth stolen base of the season in the victory. Rousseau improved her record to 3-0 this season as she pitched all seven innings allowing only one run on four hits. Rousseau did not walk a batter and struck out eight Oklahoma Christian hitters.
Davee Croy, Sarah Peoples, Chatigny, and Renshaw had one hit a piece for Oklahoma Christian. Ashley Paxton took the loss pitching six innings with two runs on six hits allowed. She walked one and struck out three Blazer batters.
Belhaven will be back in action at NCAA Division I Jackson State University Tuesday afternoon for a single game at 4:00 PM.
