Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
Montgomery, AL-The Belhaven baseball team split a Southern States Athletic Conference West Division doubleheader at Auburn University-Montgomery on Saturday afternoon. The Blazers, ranked 12th in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 Poll, won game one of the day 4-0 and fell in game two 8-7. Auburn-Montgomery ended up winning the weekend series after posting a 5-2 win in the opener Friday night.

Game One
Belhaven (24-10, 5-4 SSAC) grabbed the lead in the top of the fourth inning as the Blazers loaded the bases with one out. Lake Eiland singled to left, Anthony Doss found the hole on the right side of the infield for a single, and then Derek Tortorich dropped another base hit into left field to load them up. Jordan Brewer then came through with a sacrifice squeeze bunt plating Eiland for a 1-0 edge.

In the fifth, Tyler Wrinkle crushed his third home run of the season over the left field wall to extend the lead to 2-0. Belhaven then added two more big insurance runs in the seventh inning with a pair of clutch two outs hits. Wrinkle doubled to center field and then Jimmy Gilford tallied a single to right scoring Wrinkle. Eiland capped the inning with a base hit to left plating Gilford for the fourth run of the game.

Belhaven got a solid pitching performance by Brett Blaise who tossed a seven inning complete game shutout. Blaise gave up just four hits while walking two and striking out six to improve to 5-1 on the season. Wrinkle led the way at the plate going 2 for 3 with a home run, double, RBI and two runs scored. Gilford and Eiland each had two hits and an RBI while Doss and Tortorich ripped singles giving Belhaven eight total hits in the game.

Wes Cook (4-3) took the loss for Auburn-Montgomery (25-14, 7-2 SSAC) allowing all four runs on seven hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. Branden Kelley had two hits for the Senators followed by Hunter Cross and Tyler Jordan who each had one hit in game one of the day.

Game Two
Belhaven scored first in game two of the afternoon striking for a run in the top of the first inning. Wrinkle singled to start the game and then Gilford promptly followed with an RBI double to right center field to make it a 1-0 contest. AUM answered back with four runs in their half of the first thanks to three hits and two Blazer errors. Cross had the first RBI and reached on an error by Jordan Brewer to tie the score at 1-1. Rusty Todd then collected a base hit and run batted in and Brian Wheeler picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice. Eiland, in the process of trying to turn a double play on the ball hit by Wheeler, threw wide of first base allowing the fourth run to score.

Trailing 4-1, Belhaven rallied for two runs in the second to close the gap to 4-3. Wrinkle singled in Paul Moreno and then Gilford cashed in a run on a sacrifice fly to left. Gilford just missed a grand slam as he put Todd up against the fence in left field. The Senators had an answer in the bottom of the second scoring their fifth run of the game on a base hit by Cross down the right field line.

Neither team would score again until the sixth when Belhaven clawed back to knot the game at 5-5. Wrinkle came through with a two out run scoring double plating Ryan Saunders who had reached via a base hit. Gilford followed that up with a single to left field as Wrinkle crossed the plated just ahead of the throw to make the score 5-5. The Blazers jumped back in front momentarily 6-5 in the top of the seventh as Jordan Brewer stole second and on the throw Drew Dillard took off from third base to plate the run.

Unfortunately, the lead did not last long as AUM countered with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Todd crossed the plate on a throwing error by pitcher Sean Kelly on a failed pickoff attempt. Josh Clarke would eventually come in to pitch and get the Blazers out of a bases loaded jam maintaining the tie score at 6-6. The Senators regained the lead for good in the bottom of the eight scoring two runs following a rain delay. Clarke hit Todd with the bases loaded and then Sam Judah drove an RBI sacrifice fly to center pushing the lead to 8-6.

Belhaven tried one final time to get back in the contest in their final at bat scoring on a base hit by Brewer that sent home courtesy runner Justin Hill. However, Judah struck out Saunders and induced a ground ball to first base off the bat of Matt Discon to end the game leaving the tying run at second base.

Clarke (3-1) suffered the loss on the mound pitching 1.1 innings allowing two runs on two hits with a walk and one strikeout. Alan McHenry started the game and tossed the first 4.1 innings giving up five runs on six hits with three walks and one strikeout. Only two of the five runs were earned due to four Belhaven errors. The only Blazer pitcher to allow a run was Jon Patino with an unearned run on 0.1 innings on the mound.

Wrinkle once again led Belhaven at the plate going 3 for 4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Wrinkle now has 25 runs batted in on the season and is second on the team in that category. Gilford was 2 for 3 with three runs batted in and Saunders picked up two hits and two runs scored. Brewer had a single and an RBI while Dillard, Moreno, and Discon each logged base hits.

Tyler Dent got the win for Auburn-Montgomery in relief pitching 1.1 innings allowing one run on one hit. Judah got his seventh save of the year logging 0.2 innings. The win improved his 2011 season record to 2-1. Cody Hall started and didn't make it out of the first inning surrendering three runs on five hits in 1.1 innings on the mound. Forrest Holifield pitched 4.1 innings in middle relief allowing two runs on two hits while Nathan Brown was charged with the other run in 1.1 innings of work.

Cross and Todd had two hits and two runs batted in while Charlie Lester and Chad Mansmann had two hits and two runs scored for the Senators. Remson, Judah, and McCann had the other hits for the Senators.

Belhaven will be back in action on Tuesday night as they play host to Union University at Smith-Wills Stadium beginning at 4:00 PM. Fans can follow all the action through live audio and stats by clicking here.