Box Score
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The Belhaven baseball team slammed three home runs and collected a season high 16 hits en route to a convincing 10-0 win in seven innings at Bethel University (TN) on Tuesday afternoon. The Blazers extended their win streak to five games and evened the season series with the Wildcats at 2-2.

Belhaven (17-11) got right to work in the top of the first inning taking advantage of a Bethel error to plate run number one of the afternoon. Leftfielder Reagan Rutledge started the contest with an infield single and then stole his 25th base of the season to get into scoring position at second base. Ryne Cook then hit a hard ground ball to second baseman Ryne Fisher, who misplayed the ball allowing Rutledge to score.

The Blazers added to their 1-0 edge with another unearned run in the third to go up 2-0. Cook reached on a fielding error by third baseman Martin Key and hit the plate on third baseman Jason Hicks RBI single.

Belhaven then began to break things open in the fifth registering three runs on four hits. With one out, Hicks reached on an infield single and scored on first baseman Bud Britt's fifth home run of the season. It would be the first of three round trippers in the game for the Blazers. Later in the inning after another error by the Wildcats gave Belhaven an extra out, DH Majer Entabi plated courtesy runner Daniel Gilbert with a sac fly for a 5-0 advantage.

Belhaven struck for two more runs in the sixth on Hicks third home run blast of the season. Cook had dropped a single to right center in front of him and scored on the play to make it a 7-0 lead. Then in the seventh, the Blazers put the exclamation point on the afternoon by lighting up the scoreboard for three more runs. Centerfielder Dominick Francia walked, stole second and scored on a double by Entabi. Pinch Hitter Hamilton Harper capped things off with a home run down the right field line bumping the score to 10-0.

Meanwhile, the Belhaven pitching staff continued to shine as six pitchers combined for the shutout, holding Bethel (11-8) to two hits on the afternoon. Austin McCann finished things off in the seventh to put the run rule into effect after Jared Miller started the game, pitching two innings to get things rolling in the right direction.

Hicks had three hits and three runs batted in to lead the Belhaven offensive attack on Tuesday. Hicks now leads the team with 21 RBI this season while boasting a .383 batting average. Britt matched Hicks with three hits including two doubles, a home run, and two runs batted in giving him 20 RBI. Entabi followed with two hits and two RBI followed by Rutledge and catcher Kyle Wheeler with two hits each. Harper had the other two Belhaven RBI's in the game thanks to his pinch hit home run.

The Blazers stole four more bases increasing the team total to 86 on the season. Belhaven was ranked second in the NAIA in the steals coming into Tuesday's game. Seven of the 16 hits went for extra bases including four doubles on top of the three home runs.

On the mound, Avery Johnson earned his first win of the season and his career by tossing a scoreless third frame in relief of Miller. Tuesday's win was the fifth shutout of the season and second against Bethel. The Blazers blanked the Wildcats 2-0 on February 1st at Smith-Wills Stadium.

Centerfielder Alonzo Powell and DH Tyler Murphy had the only hits for Bethel; both singles. Blake Chandler got the start and suffered his first loss of the season falling to 2-1 in 2013. Chandler gave up seven runs (four earned) on 14 hits with two strikeouts in six innings of work. Chandler had been nearly unhittable coming into the game with a 0.38 ERA. He had allowed only 18 hits in 24 innings pitched prior to Tuesday.

The Blazers will try and keep the winning streak alive on Wednesday when they travel to Freed-Hardeman for another non-conference contest. Belhaven defeated the 22nd ranked Lions 5-2 on February 26th at Smith-Wills Stadium.