Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven softball team added another win against a top-ranked team with a doubleheader split against William Carey University on Friday afternoon. Belhaven used two big innings for a 10-4 win in game one before dropping the second game to the Crusaders 5-1 in front of packed stands at McLeod Field.

The Blazers (20-4) have been notorious for hot starts to games this season, but the tables were turned in their series with the Crusaders.

Belhaven struggled to find hits in the first three innings of each game, while the Crusaders (22-7) put together four and five-run leads as the Blazers came to bat in the fourth inning of the two contests.

William Carey used a pair of two-run home runs in the first and fourth innings of game one, knocking Belhaven starter Katy Adair from the game. Ginger Lonergan was able to get the Blazers out of a jam in the top of the fourth without the Crusaders causing any more damage on the scoreboard.

However, William Carey led the game 4-0 after three and a half innings.

Adair got her revenge against the Crusaders in the bottom of the fourth as she sent a pitch from Alli McCaleb over the left field wall to score Denee' Crawford and herself.

Now trailing 4-2 with no outs in the inning, the Blazers continued their rally with a single by Dominique Corona and a walked earned by Courtney Fairley. Ashlee Hitt advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt and one batter later the bases were loaded after Jessica Paris walked.

Belhaven centerfielder Lizzy Hess came up to bat with the bases juiced and laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line that no one could get to. Corona scored from third to make it a 4-3 game and everyone else was safe.
Shelby Watson earned a walk to score another run and then Paris scored from third on a wild pitch to complete the five-run fourth. After trailing for the entire game, Belhaven now possessed a 5-4 lead.

Watson pitched three scoreless innings in relief to hold on to the slender Belhaven lead, but the Blazers put the game out of reach in the sixth inning.

They added their second five-run inning of the game thanks in part to back-to-back home runs by Watson and Crawford. Belhaven would add three more runs, all with two outs, to finish off the come from behind victory.

Game two started off the same way as the first game with the Crusaders racing out to an early 5-0 lead in the first few innings. Belhaven hitters could not figure out William Carey starter Megan Lamb, who went the distance for the Crusaders.

The Blazers scored their only run of the game in the fifth inning when Crawford hit her second home run of the day. The run would be Lamb's only blemish of the afternoon.

Watson and Lonergan combined to pitch a scoreless final three innings, but the early runs off of Paris proved to be the difference in the game. Paris took the loss for the first time in 2013 and falls to 7-1 on the year.

William Carey continues to have sole possession of the SSAC West lead with an 8-2 record in conference play, while the Blazers moved up to second at 6-2.

Belhaven has a week to rest before another big conference matchup with No. 7 Auburn-Montgomery (25-2) next Friday at McLeod Field. The Warhawks split a doubleheader on Friday against the University of Mobile. The loss was just the second of the season for AUM. Friday's first pitch is slated for 1:00 PM.