Box Score
JACKSON, Miss. – Hamilton Harper's two out two run single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Belhaven baseball team a 7-6 victory over Mississippi College Tuesday night at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Blazers, who received votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll, also secured the 2013 Maloney Series Championship, which is contested each season between Belhaven, Mississippi College, and Millsaps College.

Trailing 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, the Blazers rallied for their fifth win in a row and 13th victory in their last 14 outings. Right fielder Emilio DeSilva kept the game alive with a single to left followed by a walk to pinch hitter Caleb Baucum. After a wild pitch and stolen base put runners on second and third, it was Harper's turn to shine. On a 1-0 pitch Harper guided the ball past Choctaw second baseman Josh Perez for the game winner. Perez made a diving attempt, but couldn't come up with the ball cleanly allowing both runners to score.

Belhaven (25-12) took the early lead with a run in the bottom of the first. Second baseman Ryne Cook delivered the first of his three hits on the night with a double into the left field corner. Third baseman Jason Hicks cashed in Cook with a single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.

Mississippi College (10-15) evened the score at 1-1 in the second on a sac fly to right by DH Rob Thames and then took the lead 4-1 with three runs in the third. Right fielder Pate Shackelford doubled in one run followed by a wild pitch that permitted left fielder Kyle Blount to score. First baseman Brett Hightower capped the frame with a sac fly to right field.

The Blazers countered with two runs in the third and one in the fourth to tie the game at 4-4. With the bases loaded in the third, DeSilva legged out an infield single to drive in Cook. Pinch hitter Majer Entabi reached on an error by shortstop Robbie Jernigan that pushed the second run across the plate. A Hicks RBI groundout in the fourth tied the game.

Neither side plated a run until the seventh when both teams matched each other with one tally. Catcher Zach Evans chased home Blount on a sacrifice fly to give the Choctaws a 5-4 lead, although the inning had potential to be much bigger for Mississippi College who left the bases loaded.

In the home half of the seventh, Belhaven took advantage of an error by center fielder Hunter Frierson. DeSilva line a single to center, but the ball got past Frierson allowing DeSilva to circle around to third base on the play. Harper would drive him in on a single to right tying the game at 5-5.

The Choctaws battled back to regain the edge at 6-5 in the top of the eighth on their fourth sac fly of the night. Shackelford was credited with the RBI on a fly ball to right. In what would be a key call in the game, the Choctaws appeared to have scored another run on another sac fly, but Perez was called out a third for leaving to early on an appeal by the Blazers. That run would prove to be costly with the Blazers scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.

Belhaven used eight pitchers on the night and reliever Josh Rogers proved to be the most effective. Rogers tossed the final two innings and earned his third win of the season. Rogers (3-1) did not allow a run and gave up just two hits to help secure Belhaven's fifth win in a row.

DeSilva had four hits, an RBI, two runs scored, and three stolen bases to pace the Blazers offense. Hicks had three hits and two runs batted in followed by Cook with three hits and two runs scored. Harper closed the night with two hits and three runs batted in.

Blake Roberts permitted the final two runs in the ninth and suffered the loss for Mississippi College. Roberts (2-3) pitched 0.2 innings that saw Belhaven collect two hits and a walk after two men were out. Blount led the Choctaw bats with two hits and Shackelford ended the contest with two runs batted in on one hit.

Belhaven will go on the road this weekend when the team travels to Brewton-Parker College for a three game Southern States Athletic Conference series. The Blazers will play two games on Friday starting at 12:00 PM followed by a single game on Saturday.