Box Score
JACKSON, Miss.-The Belhaven baseball team wrapped up its three game Southern States Athletic Conference series against Loyola University with a 5-2 victory Monday afternoon at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Blazers, ranked 15th in the Preseason NAIA Top 25 Poll, won two out of three games against the Wolfpack in the 2012 conference series opener.

Belhaven fell behind early when Loyola jumped on the board in the top of the second inning with a run off Blazer starting pitcher Brett Blaise. The Wolfpack had back to back singles from Anthony Asta and Karson Cullins followed by a sacrifice bunt from Chad Guidry to put runners at second and third with one out. Harold Toscano delivered a single to center driving home Asta to make it a 1-0 game. Blaise limited the damage in the inning by inducing a shallow fly ball to right field off the bat of Bradley Brunet. Tom Wertz made the catch and threw out Cullins at the plate for an inning ending double play.

Belhaven got the run back in the bottom of the second when catcher Clay Bonds picked up an infield single with one out. Courtesy runner Justin Hill stole second and following a walk to second baseman Jason Hicks, DH Jaime Bruno sent home Hill on an RBI single to right field. The bottom of the second ended like the top half when Hicks was thrown out at home trying to score on a shallow fly ball to center field by shortstop Ryne Cook.

Loyola broke the tie in the top of the third when Brandon Snow slammed a two out solo home run over the wall in left to make it a 2-1 contest. It would remain that way until the bottom of the fifth inning when Wertz led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by center fielder Joshua Bouldin. Left fielder Anthony Doss then delivered an RBI single to right to tie the game at 2-2. Loyola pitcher Matthew Guerry avoided further trouble by getting another double play ball to end the inning.

Belhaven then took the lead in the seventh on a costly error by the shortstop Toscano. The Blazers had singles from Wertz and Bouldin to open the frame, but the Wolfpack turned another double play leaving Wertz at third base with two outs. Third baseman Bud Britt then hit a routine ground ball to Toscano, who misplayed it allowing Wertz to score. Belhaven tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth on another error by Toscano which gave the Blazers an extra out in the inning. Hicks reached on another misplayed ground ball and eventually scored on a Wertz fielder's choice. Bouldin then doubled in Wertz to make it a 5-2 game and Belhaven closer Josh Clarke shut the door on Loyola in the ninth to preserve the win.

Belhaven (11-4, 2-1 SSAC) had four players with two hits each with Bouldin and Doss picking up an RBI and a double apiece. Wertz had two hits, three runs scored and an RBI while Bonds recorded two singles in the contest. Bruno was one for two with an RBI followed by Berry and Hicks with a hit apiece. Belhaven ended the game with 11 total hits, but struggled with runners in scoring position going 2 for 12.

Belhaven's pitching staff was solid again on Monday afternoon limiting the Wolfpack to just the two runs on six hits. Blaise went the first 6.1 innings allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Jon Patino notched his third win of the season in relief, tossing a scoreless 1.2 innings. Clarke picked up his fifth save of 2012 holding the Wolfpack off the board in the ninth.

Loyola (9-5, 1-2 SSAC) was led at the dish by Asta and Toscano with two hits apiece. Toscano and Snow had the only RBI's for the Wolfpack in Monday's game. Loyola ended the afternoon with six hits and had the two costly errors. Guerry pitched in and out of trouble working six plus innings surrendering three runs on nine hits with six walks and one strikeout. Guerry falls to 1-2 with the loss on the mound. Trey Campeaux was charged with the other two runs, which were both unearned. Campeaux logged two innings in relief.

Belhaven will be back in action Tuesday afternoon as the Blazers entertain Bethel University (TN) at Smith-Wills Stadium starting at 4:00 PM. Fans can hear all the play-by-play action courtesy of Stretch Internet by clicking here.