Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – The Belhaven softball team was tasked with another Top 25 team on Saturday and earned another split as No. 10 Belhaven defeated the No. 16 Brenau Golden Tigers 5-2 in game one before dropping the second game of the twinbill, 3-1.

Pitching ruled the day on Saturday afternoon as all four starters between the two squads brought their best stuff to the table. Jessica Paris matched up with the Golden Tigers' Anna Maness, who entered the day as one of the SSAC leaders in wins with 14, in game one.

The Blazers were the first to strike on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Belhaven's first three batters – Dominique Corona, Courtney Fairley and Katie Adair – reach base safely to load the bases with no outs in the inning. Ashlee Hitt reached base on a fielder's choice, but Corona was thrown out at the plate on the play.
With the bases still juiced and only one out, Haley Yasses knocked a single to the gap in right center to score both Fairley and Adair. The next Belhaven batter, Lizzy Hess, legged out a single to shortstop and allowed Hitt to score from third to give the Blazers a 3-0 lead.

Brenau (25-13) would creep back within a run in the fourth inning on a RBI-double by Jenny Shepard. Only a few plays later, Shepard would use a wild pitch from Paris to get home herself to make it a 3-2 game in Belhaven's favor.

The next few innings provided little results for either offense when Belhaven (25-7) broke through again in the top of the seventh. Hess earned another infield single on a bunt attempt before getting knocked in on a long home run by Jordan Cole to give the Blazers a 5-2 cushion.

Paris would shut the Golden Tigers down in the bottom of the seventh to come away with their eighth victory against a Top 25 team this year.

The Belhaven starter earned her 11th victory of the year and her seventh complete game win. Paris struck out four batters, only surrendering three hits scattered across seven innings of play.

Power-pitcher Shepard confounded the Blazers in game two on her way to evening the series at one game apiece. Shepard struck out seven Belhaven batters in the second game, while only giving up three hits and one run.

That one run for the Blazers came in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Shelby Watson. Hess had gotten on base on a throwing error by a Brenau' infielder and scored the only run for the Blazers in game two, which at the time evened the game at one.

Taylor Kelly answered the Blazers' run in the bottom of the fifth with a 2 RBI-double to make it a 3-1 game, which ended up being the final score of the game. Belhaven's offense went silent down the stretch against Shepard.

The Blazers continue their long road stretch with doubleheaders against William Carey, Auburn-Montgomery and Faulkner in the next seven days.