Game 1 Box      Game 2 Box
JACKSON, Miss. – Denee' Crawford added two more home runs to her weekend total, pacing the Blazers to a sweep of Faulkner University on Saturday. The Blazers' big bats were on full display, winning 10-2 and 11-3 in the two games versus the Eagles.
 
The Blazers got the weekend off to a sluggish start yesterday in a game one loss against Auburn-Montgomery. Ever since then, opposing pitchers have not been able to get through the Belhaven lineup unscathed with Blazer hitters punishing every mistake.
 
Belhaven found themselves in an early 2-0 hole after Eagles' second baseman Tori Hollis sent a Jessica Paris' pitch over the left field wall with one out in the top of first. Paris was able to retire the next two batters and get out of the inning without any further damage.
 
She would not surrender another run the rest of the game.
 
The Blazers (23-5) returned the favor in the bottom of the first with a solo home run by Denee' Crawford to make it a 2-1 game in the Eagles' (19-11-1) favor. The home run by Crawford was her third of the weekend and the third straight at-bat that she sent a ball over the fence, which set a Belhaven record.
 
Paris completed a one-two-three inning in the top of the second and the Blazers' offense took over the rest of the way.
 
Dominique Corona led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run of her own to tie the game at two on each side. Paris added a single with one out in the inning and was escorted home two batters later on a triple by Lizzy Hess. Lead-off hitter Shelby Watson batted in Hess on the next pitch to make it a 4-2 lead for the Blazers.
 
Courtney Fairley tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth with the third homer of the game for Belhaven.
 
The Blazers carried a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth when the flood gates sprang open. Watson doubled off the left-center wall to start the inning and Jordan Cole was hit by a pitch to set up Crawford for another big at-bat.
 
Crawford pushed a ball into the gap in left-center to plate Watson and usher Cole to third base with no one out in the inning. One batter later Katy Adair hit a single to make it a 7-2 game.
 
With runners on the corners, Corona walked to load the bases with no one out.
 
The Eagles were able to record outs on the next two plays, but they walked in two runs and gave up a RBI-single to Hess to put the run-rule into effect at the end of the fifth inning.
 
Paris improved to 9-1 on the season with her sixth complete game effort of the season. She only allowed one hit after the first inning and three overall, striking out two batters in the process.
 
Ginger Lonergan got the call in the second game of the series and picked up her fourth win of the year in a complete game. She struck out three batters, while only allowing five batters to reach base with hits.
 
Belhaven backed up their starter with some early scoring. Cole and Crawford reached base with one out before Corona loaded the bases with a single to shallow left field. Fairley grounded out to the right side to score Cole from third base for the first run of the game.
 
Crawford scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0 with two outs in the first. Corona would score one play later on a RBI-single by Ashlee Hitt for a 3-0 lead entering the second stanza.
 
The top half of the order was due back up in the second inning, when the Blazers tacked on another run to their total. Hess reached base on a fielding error by Hollis and moved onto second when Watson singled to left field.
 
Cole came through for her second hit of the game with a double to the wall in centerfield which drove in Hess, but Watson had to halt at third base.
 
Brittni Trawick added a RBI in the third inning on a bloop single to left field to score Fairley.
 
Faulkner crept within two runs in the fourth inning when Amanda Seales hit a two-run shot over the left field wall to make it a 5-3 game. However, Lonergan would be near perfect down the stretch for the Blazers.
 
Belhaven would add two more runs in the fourth on another Crawford home run, her fourth of the weekend, before finishing the game with a four-run fifth to end the game in walk-off fashion once again.
 
Trawick, Tarylor Bryan and Hess led off the fifth inning with back-to-back-to-back hits to put the Eagles in a big hole. Belhaven would load the bases again before Crawford aptly hit a two-run double to end the game effectively.
 
Crawford ended the weekend with a record-breaking stat-line. She finished the four-game weekend going 8-for-11 with four home runs, three doubles, three walks, five runs scored and 10 RBI's.
 
With the sweep of Faulkner, Belhaven moves into a tie for first place in the SSAC West due to William Carey being swept by Auburn-Montgomery on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Blazers have a big week ahead of them as they go on a six-game road trip from Thursday through Saturday. On Thursday afternoon travel to Tennessee to take on the fourth-ranked Lee Flames before matchups with Truett-McConnell on Friday and No. 14 Brenau on Saturday.
 
In fact the Blazers next six series are the road with games against William Carey, Auburn-Montgomery and Faulkner during the following week.
 
How the Blazers fare during the long stretch of away games will dictate their outlook in the national standings at the end of the season.