Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
JACKSON, Miss.-The Belhaven baseball team swept its three game series with Blue Mountain College on Saturday, defeating the Toppers 6-3 in game one of the doubleheader followed by a 15-4 win in the second game. The Blazers, ranked 15th in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 Poll, opened the season and the series on Friday afternoon with a 4-0 victory.

Game One
Blue Mountain (0-3) jumped in front picking up a run in the first inning on an RBI single Gardner Richey to make it a 1-0 game. The Toppers ended up collecting three hits in the inning, but Belhaven starting pitcher Allen Johnson was able to limit the damage to one run.

The Blazers put together a five run second inning to take the momentum and the lead in the game. Blue Mountain pitcher Blake Jolly walked Ryan Saunders and hit Bud Britt to open the door for Belhaven. Ryne Cook brought in the first run chasing home Saunders with an RBI single to left field. Jonathan Thompson then delivered a two run double as a pinch hitter and that at bat gave Belhaven a lead it would never relinquish. Anthony Doss drove an RBI single to left and Saunders drew a bases loaded walk to cap the inning and make it a 5-1 contest going to the third.

The Toppers got two of the runs back in the sixth on a homer by Richey, which cut the Belhaven advantage down to 5-3. Belhaven then picked up an insurance tally in the bottom of the sixth when Jamie Bruno scored on a wild pitch pushing the lead out to 6-3. The Blazers then summoned closer Josh Clarke from the bullpen to pitch the seventh inning and Clark delivered his first save of the season retiring the side in order to preserve the win.

Belhaven collected seven hits in the first game with Doss and Cook coming up with run scoring singles. Thompson had the big hit in the game on his pinch hit double which drove in the go ahead runs. Belhaven's other extra base hit was a double that came off the bat of Bruno. Johnson pitched the first six innings allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Clarke tallied his first save, closing the door on the Toppers with a scoreless seventh that featured a strikeout.

Blue Mountain's offensive production in game one came primarily from Gardner Richey who went 2 for 3 with three runs batted in. Blake Jolly suffered the loss on the hill giving up all six runs in 5.1 innings.

Game Two
Two seven run innings propelled Belhaven to the win in game two. Things started out a little shaky with Blue Mountain surging in front in the top of the third with four runs. The Toppers picked up the first run on a passed ball charged to catcher Clay Bonds that scored Brent Townsend. Hunter Mize then recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly and Zack Scott double home the other two runs of the inning.

The Blazers didn't stay down long as they countered with a seven spot in the bottom of the third. Thompson sent home Britt and Doss on a two run single to left and Bruno followed with a two run double to right plating Thompson and Jason Hicks. Bonds singled home Bruno followed by an RBI single by Chad Wardlaw. Saunders was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to cap the scoring.

Belhaven put the game away in the fifth scoring seven more times to take a commanding 14-4 lead. Hamilton Harper drew a bases loaded walk accounting for the first run followed by another walk to Bruno with the bases full. Bonds singled in a pair of runs, Bruno scored on a wild pitch, and Doss slammed a single to right driving in two more runs. Belhaven tacked on one more run in the sixth thanks to Bruno's second double of the game that allowed Harper to cross home plate.

Bruno drove in four of Belhaven's 15 runs going 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles. Bonds picked up three RBI's on two hits. Thompson and Doss each had two runs batted in; Chad Wardlaw had two hits and an RBI, and Hamilton Harper picked up one hit and drove in a Blazer run. Brett Blaise pitched five innings to earn his first win of the year. He walked four, struck out three, and surrendered seven hits. Brandon McHenry and Mark Husband pitched the sixth and seventh innings respectively. Both frames were scoreless and each pitcher notched a pair of strikeouts. The Blazers ended game two with 14 hits and for the three game series hit .337 as a team.

Blue Mountain had seven hits in the contest with Zack Scott driving in two of the Toppers four runs on one hit. Zane Treadway was charged with the loss pitching 2.2 innings in which he gave up five runs. Walks hurt the Blue Mountain pitching staff in game two, especially in innings three and five. Topper pitchers walked 12 batters and hit two others in the seven inning span.

Belhaven will be back in action on Tuesday night, hosting Tougaloo College at 4:00 PM at Smith-Wills Stadium. Fans can catch all the live play-by-play action through live audio courtesy of Stretch Internet and live stats via the Belhaven Athletics website.