Box Score Game 1    Box Score Game 2
JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven baseball team wrapped up the regular season on Friday night, splitting a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader against William Carey University at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Blazers, ranked 21^st in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, won game one 4-1 and lost game two 3-1. Belhaven ends the season fourth in the SSAC standings and will be the number four seed in the SSAC tournament next week in Columbus, Ga.
 
Game One
It was just another day at the office for Belhaven pitcher Chris Good in game one, who logged seven innings for his NAIA leading 13^th win of the season. Good (13-3) also notched his ninth complete game of the season and in the process allowed only one run on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
 
The Belhaven (36-19, 18-12 SSAC) bats gave Good some run support in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Emilio DeSilva. Catcher Kyle Wheeler reached base on a throwing error by second baseman J.C. Cassidy and it was his run that came in on the sac fly by DeSilva. The fly ball to right was just deep enough to plate courtesy runner Joshua Bouldin who slid into home just ahead of the tag.
 
Good ran into trouble in the fifth when William Carey (33-20, 19-11 SSAC) loaded the bases against him to start the inning. However, Good would eventually escape major damage with only one run crossing the plate. Good struck out left fielder Richard Hensarling and induced a sacrifice fly off the bat of right fielder Scott Fabre followed by a groundout to third by DH Vito Perna to get out of trouble.
 
Belhaven broke the 1-1 tie in the fifth with three runs of their own to take a 4-1 lead. Wheeler doubled with two outs and chased home second baseman Ryne Cook. Center fielder Reagan Rutledge followed with an RBI single to left field and DeSilva eventually drew a walk with the bases loaded to drive in Bouldin.
 
Rutledge had two hits and an RBI to lead the Blazers at the plate in game one. DeSilva had one hit and two runs batted in followed by Wheeler with one hit and one RBI. Belhaven outhit William Carey University 8-6.
 
Cade LeBlanc was charged with loss as a result of giving up the go ahead for Belhaven in the bottom of the fifth. LeBlanc pitched 0.2 innings, issued one walk and gave up one hit dropping his record to 1-1. Fabre had one of the Crusaders six hits and the only RBI.
 
Game Two
Game two would prove to be a pitcher's duel as well with William Carey's Vito Perna and Belhaven's Robert Marzoni going head to head at Smith-Wills Stadium. The Crusaders jumped in front in the top of the first with two runs. Shortstop Sean Hodges walked to start the game and then with one down Fabre blasted a two run home run over the wall in the left field.
 
Meanwhile, the Blazers had trouble getting the offense rolling against Perna who kept them off the board until the eighth inning. Marzoni settled down after a rocky first inning to blank the Crusaders over the next six frames.
 
Belhaven finally got to Perna in the eighth for what would be their only run of the night. The Blazers loaded the bases with one out and on a 3-2 pitch Cook drew a bases loaded walk to plate DeSilva who had been hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Hunter Phillips came in from the bullpen to face third baseman Jason Hicks with only one down in the inning.
 
With the count one and one, Hicks hit the ball on the right side of the infield and it appeared to be headed to right field, but on its way through it hit Cook who was running from first to second. The play was immediately ruled dead, Cook was out, and shortstop Josiah Richard had to go back to third base. On the very next pitch, Phillips fired the offering in the turf and it bounced past catcher Clint Ambrosch to the back stop. The ball took an unfortunate bounce for Belhaven as it caromed off the concrete wall back to Ambrosch who tagged Richard at the plate trying to score. That ended the inning and the hopes for a Blazers rally in the eighth.
 
William Carey immediately saw the momentum shift back to their side and tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Cassidy singled up the middle and right fielder Jackson Posey doubled him to make it a 3-1 game. Phillips stayed on to pitch the ninth and retired Belhaven in order to preserve the win for the Crusaders.
 
Marzoni (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing just two runs on seven hits in seven innings. Marzoni walked three batters and struck out five on Friday night. Left fielder Dominick Francia and Hicks both had two hits apiece for Belhaven. Cook had one hit and one run batted in followed by Rutledge with one hit and a stolen base. Rutledge and Francia both have 42 steals on the season.
 
Perna improved his record to 7-3 after turning in a 7.1 inning performance. Perna gave up one run on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Fabre had one hit and two runs batted in on the home run. Posey finished the night with two hits and the other William Carey RBI.
 
Belhaven will now travel to Columbus, Ga. for the SSAC tournament next week. The day, time, and opponent will be announced by the SSAC this weekend.