Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ga. – In their first game of the SSAC Tournament winners' bracket, the Belhaven softball team had the tall task of taking down third-ranked Lee. The Blazers battled back from a one-run deficit to tie the game in the seventh inning, before the Flames got a bases-loaded single to snatch a 3-2 victory away from Belhaven.  
 
Belhaven starter, Katy Adair and Lee starting pitcher, Caroline MacAusland, battled in a true pitchers' duel in the first three innings. Each pitcher allowed a hit or a walk here and there, but strikeouts were more common in a scoreless three stanzas. Adair finished with five strike outs in a complete game effort, while MacAusland punched out 10 Belhaven batters in six innings pitched.
 
Shelby Watson led off the game with a single on the first pitch of the game, but MacAusland laid down the next three Blazers (33-11) to get away unscathed. Lee (42-9) loaded the bases in the bottom half of the first on a couple of singles and an error, but Adair pitched herself out of the jam.
 
No batter for either team reached base in innings two and three as the game progressed quickly to the fourth.
 
In the fourth, Belhaven would break the scoreless tie thanks to some timely hitting from senior shortstop Courtney Fairley. Jordan Cole led off the inning by becoming another one of MacAusland's strikeout victims, but the ball got away from Meghan Macias behind to plate—allowing Cole to advance to first safely.
 
After Denee' Crawford struck out looking, Fairley took a mistake pitch on the inner-half of the plate and pulled it down the left field line. The ball bounced a couple of feet inside the foul line and rolled all the way to the corner. Cole scored easily from first base and Fairley was able to advance to third base on the throw home.
 
Fairley stood on third base with only one out in the inning and gave the Blazers a prime opportunity to add a run to a stingy Lee pitching staff. MacAusland quickly put down the next two Belhaven batters—leaving Fairley stranded at third.
 
Belhaven's 1-0 lead would be short lived as the teams headed to the bottom of the fourth inning. The heart of the Lee lineup was due up and getting their second look at the Blazers' flame-throwing starter.
 
Hot-hitting first baseman Ana Coscorrosa kicked off the inning with a double to deep right-center field that squeezed its way through the gap in the temporary fence. Coscorrosa then caught the left side of the Belhaven infield by surprise—taking third base on the steal in uncontested fashion.
 
Dezirae Parsons stepped to the plate with the tying run on third base and nobody out in the inning. She obliged with a single sent right back of the middle of the field for the Flames first run of the game.
 
Parsons advanced to second on a groundout to short and then crossed-up the Blazers infield on an infield single by Lexie Dean. Dean slow-chopped a ball to Fairley at short—just under the glove of Adair—and the Blazer shortstop tried to get Parsons at third base with the speed Dean blazing down the first base line. Crawford tried to get back to the bag, but Parson slid under the tag to put runners on the corners.
 
Savanna Bell grounded out on a slow roller to Cole at second, but Parsons was running on contact and easily scored the Flames second run of the game.
 
Lee took the 2-1 lead to the top of the seventh inning when the Blazers attempted to put their rally caps on once again. Taylor Bryan pinch-hit for Dominique Corona and recorded her first hit of the tournament with a single up the middle. Haley Yasses laid down a good bunt to the third base side and forced Parsons into a rushed throw to get the lead runner.
 
Parsons air-mailed the attempt into center field, which allowed Bryan to slide in safe at second base. Brittni Trawick also came in as a pinch-hitter and blooped a single to left-center field to load the bases.
 
Katie Sanders and Watson were both put out in sequential order, but the last pitch of the at-bat by Watson got through to the backstop. Pinch-runner Emily Tucker rushed home as soon as the ball hit the dirt and scored the game-tying run.
 
Lee loaded the bases in the bottom half of the seventh on a pair of hits by the heart of the Flames' lineup. Adair was able to rack up two outs along the way and looked to have an inning-ending strike out of Parsons. Adair did not get the call and she eventually hit Parsons to load up the bases.
 
 Macias came to bat without a hit on the afternoon, but she delivered her first knock the day at the most important of times. The Lee catcher chopped a pitch off the ground and just over the outstretched glove of Crawford at third to drive in the winning run.