Game 1 Box Game 2 Box
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For the second time this season, the Blazers softball team earned an important split with sixth-ranked Auburn-Montgomery. Belhaven failed to score in game one, but used three late runs to pull off a 5-3 victory in game two.
The last time the Blazers (27-9) and Warhawks (35-6) met three weeks ago, Belhaven had yet to enter the NAIA top 10 despite an impressive resume. The two split the doubleheader and the Blazers vaulted into the top 10 in the next poll.
A few weeks later, both teams are battling for position atop the SSAC West. With only a few games separating four teams—AUM, Belhaven, William Carey, Spring Hill—every game from here on out is pivotal for conference seeding.
Game one featured two of the premier pitchers in the Southern States Athletic Conference and neither player disappointed. Jessica Paris and the Warhawks' Cassie Daniels had combined to go 26-3 entering the contest, as well as a few pitcher of the week awards.
The two pitchers worked their way through a classic pitchers' duel with neither pitcher allowing a run through the first five innings. In fact, the first hit of the game did not take place until the bottom of the fifth by Warhawks' centerfielder Emma Johansen.
Belhaven continued to be hitless through six batted innings when the Warhawks finally broke through against Paris.
Jyssica Pepper led off the inning with the second hit of the game, a single to centerfield, which kicked off a messing inning for the Blazers. A passed ball and two defensive gaffes led to two runs being scored despite no more hits being recorded by Auburn-Montgomery.
Daniels had all the runs she needed and capped off a no-hitter against the Blazers in the top of the seventh. Belhaven earned four walks off the tough starter, but could not find a hit to drive in any runs to lose game one 2-0.
Katy Adair took the mound in the second game of the twinbill and out-pitched her adversary Kayla Hale in the Blazers 5-3 victory. Adair surrendered three runs on five hits, while striking out five batters to pick up her 10th win of the season.
Adair gave up a run in the bottom of the first to give the Warhawks the early 1-0 advantage.
After a scoreless second inning, the Belhaven bats finally awoke from their nine-inning slumber. Taylor Bryan opened up the inning by getting hit by a pitch, but Hale was able to settle herself to get the next two Blazer batters. Shelby Watson stepped up to plate with two outs and whacked a fastball over the left field fence to give Belhaven their first lead of the day, 2-1.
The Warhawks evened up the score at two in the bottom of the fourth, but the Blazers were not to be dismayed. Belhaven used hits from Lizzy Hess, Jordan Cole, Adair and Watson combined with a few miscues by Auburn-Montgomery to score three runs, taking a commanding 5-2 lead.
Auburn-Montgomery would add a final run in the bottom of the fifth, but some shutdown pitching in the last two innings sealed the 5-3 victory for Belhaven.
The Blazers are back in action on Monday afternoon in a rescheduled doubleheader with Faulkner University after inclement weather pushed it back from Friday. The Eagles are in the midst of a 14-game losing streak, while the Blazers have picked up 10 wins against the NAIA Top 25 as of late.
