Box Score
JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven baseball team dropped game one of its two game non-conference series with top-ranked and defending NAIA National Champion Tennessee Wesleyan by the final of 4-1 at Smith-Wills Stadium Tuesday night. Similar to the three game series with Lee, the Blazers had solid pitching but were unable to find a spark at the plate.

Belhaven (12-11) was forced to play catch up from the first inning on when Tennessee Wesleyan jumped ahead with a run in the top of the first. Blazers starter Jared Miller retired the first two batters of the night, but gave up a two out double to third baseman Jake Stone followed by an RBI single off the bat of first baseman Trey Griffin to make it a 1-0 game. Three of the four Bulldog runs would cross the plate after two men were out.

Tennessee Wesleyan (15-5) added run number two in the top of the second against Andrew Gunn. The Bulldogs put runners on first and third with one out and left fielder Logan Dalton delivered a single to center plating center fielder Travis Burnside.

Trailing 2-0 going to the bottom of the third, the Blazers pulled to within one on what would prove to be their only tally of the night. Belhaven avoided disaster in the top of the third when the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out and failed to score, keeping the Blazers in striking distance. Belhaven notched the run when right fielder Reagan Rutledge tripled to right center with one out and scampered home on a single to left off the bat of second baseman Daniel Gilbert.

Both teams put zeros on the board until the top of the sixth when Tennessee Wesleyan notched two more insurance runs. The Bulldogs struck again with two outs against relief pitcher Michael Wurster to make it a 4-1 game. Second baseman Branden Walker bounced an RBI single up the middle and Dalton lined a run scoring hit to center accounting for both runs.

Belhaven couldn't figure out Bulldogs starter Zach Fleshman (2-1) who fired eight innings for the win. Fleshman limited the Blazers to six hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five. Noah Piard pitched the ninth and recorded his NAIA leading eighth save.

Rutledge led Belhaven at the plate with two hits and two runs scored. Gilbert had one of the other six hits with one run batted in. Third baseman Bud Britt, center fielder Dominick Francia, and Zach Polzin posted one hit each.

On the mound, Jared Miller suffered the loss dropping his record to 0-1. Miller worked the first inning and allowed one run on two hits and a walk.

Burnside had three hits and two runs scored while Dalton had two hits and two runs batted in to pace Tennessee Wesleyan at the dish.

Belhaven will wrap up the two game series with the Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon at Smith-Wills Stadium. The first pitch is slated for 4:00 PM.