Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
MOBILE, Ala. – The Belhaven baseball team closed its three game Southern States Athletic Conference series at Spring Hill College on Saturday by splitting a doubleheader. The Blazers lost game one 5-4 in eight innings, but came back for a 9-6 win in the series finale. Belhaven ended the weekend by taking two out of three from the Badgers, thanks to a 6-4 win in 11 innings on Friday night.

Game 1
Spring Hill (15-27, 7-17 SSAC) struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first on two hits. The Blazers committed two errors as well which aided the Badgers offense. Center fielder Andy Robbins led off the inning with a base hit and crossed the plate on a fielding error by right fielder Emilio DeSilva after Catcher Ryan Stevens singled. The second Spring Hill run crossed the plate when first baseman John Hollingsworth reached first with two outs on a throwing error by third baseman Jason Hicks.

Belhaven (31-16, 15-9 SSAC) pulled even with the Badgers at 2-2 in the fourth on the strength of three hits. Casey Adams had not surrendered a hit up to that point, but the Blazers made up for lost time with three straight singles to open the inning. Hicks started things off with an infield single followed by hits from catcher Kyle Wheeler and first baseman Bud Britt. Britt's single plated the first Belhaven run and then center fielder Reagan Rutledge chased home courtesy runner Daniel Gilbert on a ground ball to short.

Neither team scored until the fifth when the Badgers ripped back to back to out hits to reclaim the advantage. Hollingsworth doubled to left center and left fielder Garrett Webb drove him in with a single up the middle to make it a 3-2 game.

The Blazers came right back in the sixth with a run of their own to knot the score at 3-3. This time a Badger error would lead to the equalizer when third baseman Willie Floros threw wide of second trying to force DeSilva at the bag for the final out of the inning. Britt, who was at third when the ball was hit by Gilbert, scored easily on the play.

Spring Hill threatened to take the lead back in the home half of the sixth, but the Blazers turned a spectacular double play to keep the Badgers off the board. With one out and the bases loaded, Stevens hit a ground ball to the left of second baseman Ryne Cook who fielded the ball and in one motion threw to shortstop Josiah Richard covering second. Richards relay throw was on target at first to complete the double play.

Belhaven appeared to grab the momentum in the seventh scoring a run to move back in front. Hicks walked with one out, stole second base, moved to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on the second wild pitch of the inning by reliever Keller Douglas.

Leading 4-3, the Blazers were three outs away from the victory, but couldn't hold off the Badgers. Floros led off with a single against pitcher Chris Good and eventually scored on a fielder's choice to tie the game. Pinch hitter Mason Hutson hit what appeared to be a tailor made double play ground ball to Richard at short. Richard stepped on the bag to get the force out at second, but his throw to first was off line allowing Floros to score. The Badgers ended the game in the eighth with a two out bases loaded single to center off the bat of Hollingsworth.

Belhaven starting pitcher Chris Good (11-3) lost for the first time since February 15th, pitching all 7.2 innings before giving up the game winning score in the bottom of the eighth. Good allowed five runs on 13 hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

At the plate, the Blazers couldn't get much going against Spring Hill's Casey Adams and Keller Douglas who limited them to five hits. Center fielder Reagan Rutledge and first baseman Bud Britt had one hit and one RBI apiece.

Douglas took the win for the Badgers, logging the final three frames to go to 3-1 on the season. Douglas allowed one run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout. Spring Hill (15-27, 7-17 SSAC) was led by first baseman John Hollingsworth and left fielder Garrett Webb with two hits and an RBI each.

Game 2
Belhaven jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in game two, but Spring Hill would be at their heels the entire afternoon. The Blazers picked up the first run in the first inning on an RBI ground out by Wheeler. Left fielder Dominick Francia led off the game with a base hit and scored on the grounder after stealing second and third base.

In the second inning, Belhaven went up 3-0 on an RBI single by DH Caleb Baucum followed by a squeeze bunt from Richard that cashed in DeSilva from third.

The Badgers countered with a run in the second on a run scoring double by shortstop Brooks Bobinger that sent home Hollingsworth who had been hit by a pitch from Jonathan Thompson to start the frame.

Belhaven had a chance to pull away from the Badgers in the third, but couldn't come up with the momentum changing hit. The Blazers left the bases loaded in the third and failed to plate a run holding the score at 3-1.

Spring Hill slipped through the open door in the home half of the third to tie the contest at 3-3. Floros lifted a sacrifice fly to left and Webb bounced a single through the middle of the infield to drive in the second run of the inning.

Belhaven pulled ahead again at 4-3 in the fourth when Cook scored on a wild pitch. However, the Blazers had the potential for more, but left the bases loaded again without adding to the run total.

Spring Hill matched the Blazers again in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single that tied the game 4-4. This time the Badgers left the bases full when relief pitcher Jared Miller struck out Hollingsworth to end the inning.

The seesaw battled continued with another Belhaven run in the fifth. Francia punched a single up the middle plating Richard who had single to center field with one out. The Blazers eventually loaded the bases again, but couldn't tally any additional runs.

Belhaven's 5-4 edge didn't last long as Spring Hill scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to move in front 6-5. Bobinger touched home plate on a wild pitch by Miller and pinch hitter Cyrus Beerman drove in courtesy runner Blake Toscano for the go ahead score.

With their backs against the wall down 6-5, the Blazers finally put together the big inning that eluded them the entire contest. Belhaven scored four times in the sixth inning to take control of the game.

Michael Moch came in from the bullpen to start the inning for Spring Hill and gave up a leadoff single to Rutledge. DeSilva reached on a sac bunt and a throwing error on the play by Hollingsworth permitted Rutledge to score and tie the game at 6-6. Rutledge had moved to second on a stolen base, which gave him 40 on the season tying a Belhaven single season school record. From there, Francia put the Blazers in front on an RBI single to right followed by two insurance runs that crossed the plate thanks to a Hick's single to shortstop.

The Blazers bullpen held the lead as Andrew Gunn bridged the gap to closer Josh Rogers with a scoreless sixth. Rogers finished the job by shutting out the Badgers in the seventh to preserve the 9-6 victory.

Michael Wurster took home the win for Belhaven in relief, improving his record to 3-0 on the season. Rogers earned his third save of the year by pitching the scoreless seventh. Wurster tossed 0.2 innings and did not allow a hit or a run.

Left fielder Dominick Francia had a big game for Belhaven with three hits, two runs batted in, and two runs scored. On top of that, he swiped four bases against the Badgers. Rutledge also collected two more hits and two steals, tying Chanse Cooper's record of 40 steals in a single season which was set in 2009. Other key contributors at the plate were DeSilva with two hits and Hicks with a hit and two runs batted in.

Moch suffered the loss for Spring Hill dropping his record to 0-3. Moch pitched two innings and gave up four runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout. Stevens and Bobinger each had two hits and an RBI for the Badgers at the plate.

Belhaven will be back in action at home on Tuesday against Millsaps College. The first pitch from Smith-Wills Stadium is slated for 6:00 PM.