Box Score Game 1 Box Score Game 2
Ridgeland, MS-The Belhaven softball team took two games from Grand View University on Thursday afternoon at Freedom Ridge Park. The Blazers, ranked 12th in the NAIA Top 25 Poll, won game one of the day 9-0 in five innings and then topped Grand View 6-1 in game two. Belhaven combined for 19 hits and allowed just one run the entire afternoon.
Game One
It was all Belhaven (20-3) in game one of the day and in the second inning the Blazers set the tone with six runs. Lizzy Hess singled in the first run followed by a two run double off the bat of Christina Jaques. Rian O'Bannon then cracked a double to left field chasing home Jaques and Hess and another RBI double by Annalee Carr capped the six run inning.
The Blazers scored twice more in the third on an RBI single by Kayla Maldonado and then Hess collected her second run scoring hit of the game with a single. Leading 8-0, Belhaven struck again for the final time in the fourth as Rebecca Rousseau notched the first of what would be five runs batted in on the afternoon with a two bagger.
Belhaven was led by Jaques and Hess who each had two hits and two runs batted in. Rousseau had two hits and one RBI while O'Bannon had one hit and two runs batted in. Maldonado had one hit and one RBI plus a stolen base in the contest. Sarah Burns pitched a complete game shutout allowing only two hits with a walk and eight strikeouts improving her record to 11-2.
Ashley Flowers and Emily Gilber had the only hits for Grand View and Dacia Miller was charged with the loss in the circle as she lasted just 1.2 innings surrendering six runs on four hits. Haleigh Munson pitched 2.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits.
Game Two
Belhaven took an early lead in the second game of the day thanks to a grand slam home run off the bat of Rousseau to make it a 4-0 contest. The Blazers picked up their final two runs in the second on a sacrifice fly by O'Bannon and a Carr RBI single to left field. Grand View scored their only run of the game in the third inning on a Courtney Yacinich single to left field.
Jaques and O'Bannon led Belhaven in hits with two and Rousseau had one hit and four runs batted in. O'Bannon also contributed an RBI. CeCee Austin, Rachel Wright, and Hess also had one hit apiece. As a team, the Blazers had nine hits in the game and six runs batted in. Rousseau not only hit the ball well, but pitched her way to a victory in the circle going 5.2 innings allowing one run on five hits with six strikeouts. The win boosts Rousseau's record to 8-1 this season. Ashley Mottola tossed 1.1 innings and did not give up a run or a hit.
Katie King had two hits for Grand View while Gilber, Yacinich, and Ryan Jehle each collected one hit apiece. Michele Schoop surrendered six runs in four innings to take the loss in the circle. Meagan Belieu pitched two innings and allowed three hits, but kept the Blazers off the scoreboard.
Belhaven will be back in action on Friday at the William Carey University Invitational in Hattiesburg, MS. The Blazers will play Georgetown College at 10:00 AM, Union University at 12:00 PM, and LSU-Alexandria at 4:00 PM. Live Stats for the Georgetown and Union games can be viewed by clicking here.
