ALCORN, Miss. – The Belhaven softball team completed a home-and-home series sweep of Alcorn State on Friday afternoon, defeating the Lady Braves 3-0 and 8-1 in a doubleheader.
 
Belhaven (10-2) turned on the jets early in the first game of the doubleheader, scoring all three of their runs in the first two innings. Katy Adair got the start for the eighth time this season and pitched four strong innings to pick up her sixth win of the year.
 
Jordan Cole led off the game with a looping single off of Deanna Rancilio and advanced to second on a single by Lizzy Hess. Denee' Crawford continued her hot start with a single over the shortstop to score Cole easily and moving Hess to third.
 
Belhaven's cleanup hitter, Adair, came up to bat with runners on the corners and no one out. She tapped a ball to second, which sent Hess towards home at the crack of the back. With no chance at the speedy centerfielder, Brianna Bishop relinquished the run to get Adair at first base.
 
The Blazers would fail to score again, but took a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the first inning.
 
Adair gave up a lead-off walk, but retired the next three batters to strand a runner at third base.
 
Belhaven tacked on their final run of the game in the top of the second inning on a play by Dominique Corona. The Blazers' left fielder left off the inning with a single to right center field and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
 
With two outs in the inning, Corona was able to score the third run of the game on the second wild pitch of the stanza. It would be the final time that the Blazers would score in the game.
 
Adair finished three more innings of outstanding work before Shelby Watson came on for an almost spotless three innings of relief. The two Belhaven pitchers combined for nine strikeouts in the shutout effort, while only surrendering three hits over seven innings.
 
In the second game of the afternoon, Belhaven found the offensive firepower that they displayed in the first meeting between the two schools at McLeod Field last week. The Blazers scored nine runs against the Braves (3-19) in game two of the series nine days ago.
 
Watson singled with one out in the top of the first and stole second base for her steal of the afternoon. Crawford collected another RBI by knocking home Watson on a single through the left side of the infield.
 
Ginger Lonergan received her first start of the 2013 season and completely shut down the Lady Braves during the four innings that she pitched. Longergan pitched four no-hit innings, only giving up one walk in the first inning. She also struck out two batters.
 
Belhaven fed off of Lonergan's dominant performance and added three more runs to their total in the top of third.
 
Hess kicked off the third with a single to center field. Cole was then hit by a pitch to advance Hess to second base. One batter later, Watson singled on a bunt attempt to load the bases. However, a bad throw after the bunt allowed Hess to score from third base and sent Cole from second to third.
 
Crawford hit a towering fly ball to centerfield to plate Cole on the sacrifice. Jessica Paris hit another sky-high fly ball out to center on the next pitch, which scored Watson to give Belhaven a 4-0 lead.
 
The Blazers would add two more runs to their hefty lead in the fourth inning on a single by Hess. Mandy Fuller singled and Emily Tucker doubled before Hess plated them with the timely hit.
 
Belhaven carried an 8-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh when the Lady Braves struck for their first run of the day. Alexandra Harris hit a double off the wall and was able to score on a wild pitch two batters later.
 
The Blazers will finish the major portion of their non-conference schedule this weekend when they play LSU-Alexandria and Embry-Riddle University (Fla.) tomorrow at the William Carey Invitational.
 
Belhaven will then begin conference play with a doubleheader versus Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama on Tuesday afternoon.