Box Score vs Fresno Pacific    Box Score vs Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, OK-The Belhaven baseball team saw the 2011 season come to a close on Saturday afternoon losing to Oklahoma City University in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round championship game 15-0. The Blazers had defeated Fresno Pacific University earlier in the day 7-6 in 12 innings to make it to the championship. The win over the Sunbirds set a new Belhaven record for most wins in a season as the Blazers end the year with a record of 45-18. Three of the four games Belhaven played in the tournament went into extra innings.

Belhaven jumped out to a quick start against Fresno Pacific scoring four times in the top of the first frame. Anthony Doss got things rolling with an RBI single followed by a two run single off the bat of Derek Tortorich. Paul Moreno capped the inning with an RBI single to right field which made it a 4-0 game. Fresno Pacific got an unearned run in the second as Andrew Douglass scored on a throwing error by Lake Eiland. Belhaven picked up two more runs in the third when Tyler Wrinkle delivered a two out two run single to right center.

Belhaven owned a 6-1 edge going into the ninth inning against Fresno Pacific, but could not hold the lead as the Sunbirds fought back to tie the game at 6-6 and force extra innings. Karlan Andrews doubled in the first run of the inning and with the bases loaded Scott Laird brought in two more with a double down the left field line. Wes Dorrell then made a bid to tie the game by ripping a single into right field which plated one run. However, Moreno threw a strike to home plate to cut down Blaine Taylor in what would be a game saving play. The Sunbirds would go on to tie the game on an RBI single by Douglass and it would take a strikeout by Blazer pitcher Josh Clarke with the bases loaded to send the game to extra innings. Doss drove in what would be the game winning run in the top of the 12th on an RBI double and Jon Patino closed the door in the bottom of the inning to get the win in relief.

Doss was 5 for 6 in the game with two runs batted in and a run scored. Wrinkle finished game one going 2 for 6 and had two runs batted in. Jimmy Gilford went 3 for 6 and Derek Tortorich had a hit and two RBI's. Ryan Saunders also turned in a multi hit game going 2 for 6 at the plate with a double and a run scored.

Patino pitched three innings in relief and picked up the win running his record to 4-2 in 2011. Patino permitted only one hit, did not walk a batter, and struck out two Sunbird hitters. Brandon McHenry started for Belhaven and pitched 8.1 innings and was cruising along until the ninth when he gave up four of the five runs he allowed. McHenry walked one, struck out five, and allowed 10 hits as he ended up with a no decision.

Laird and Douglas each had three hits for Fresno Pacific to lead the Sunbird offense. Michael Rivera suffered the loss working 2.1 innings in relief allowing one run on three hits. Ryan Castadio got the start for Fresno Pacific and did not record an out allowing four runs on three hits. David Hawes was charged with the other two runs in the contest.

In the second game of the day, it was all Oklahoma City University as the Stars cruised to a 15-0 win. Oklahoma City pounded out 21 hits while Belhaven was held to just five hits in the game. The Stars scored a run in the second on an RBI single by Austin Messerli. It was the first of five runs batted in on the day as Messerli went 5 for 6 at the plate and added three runs scored to his stat totals. Oklahoma City put up their second run in the fourth on a Scott Dalrymple base hit and then Messerli put the Stars in control in the fifth thanks to a three run double to center. Oklahoma City went on to plate a run in the seventh, two in the eighth and then seven in the ninth as they cruised to the win.

Nick Meekins took the loss as he made just his second start of the season and worked 4 innings allowing five runs on 10 hits. Doss, Tortorich, Matt Discon, Tom Wertz, and Lake Eiland each had one hit on the afternoon. The only extra base hit was a double by Tortorich giving him 18 on the season.

Rich Hawkins got the win for the Stars pitching 8.2 innings of shutout ball allowing just four hits while striking out three Blazer hitters. Messerli was the key to the Stars offense, but Miguel Beltran also had a big day recording four hits in six at bats. Beltran had two RBI's and one run scored in the Stars win. Chad Carman went 3 for 5 with two RBI's followed by Ruben Sosa and Kirk Walker who each had two hits and a run batted in. Matt Presley was 2 for 4 with three runs scored

Oklahoma City will now make the trip to the 2011 Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, ID beginning May 27th. This was the third consecutive season that Belhaven made it to the opening round championship game. The Blazers defeated Texas Wesleyan last season to make it to the 2010 NAIA World Series.