Box Score TYLER, Texas – The Belhaven baseball team improved to 21-4 on the year after a 5-2 victory in East Texas on Tuesday afternoon. With the loss, the University of Texas at Tyler fell to 7-9 on the season.
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"It was a typical game for us," Head Coach
Hill Denson said. "We struggled to score runs, but we managed to punch a few across and get a win."
Belhaven's offensive attack was once again led by
Paul Pickerrell, who sparked the lineup with two base hits and two walks while driving in three.
Reagan Rutledge and
Gabe Wilson each added a multi-hit game as well, while
Emilio DeSilva,
Tyler Akins, and
Josiah Richard contributed a base hit apiece.
"Paul is the guy we want at the plate in an RBI situation right now," Denson said. "He seems to deliver for us every time, and I hope some of our other guys can feed off of him."
The Blazers continued their aggressiveness on the base paths, as Rutledge swiped three bags to add on to what was already the best in the NAIA. Wilson and DeSilva combined for three more stolen bases, giving Belhaven six as a team on the day.
Blazer starter
Ben Allison threw five innings on the mound, allowing just two runs on five hits while recording a strikeout.
Andrew Gunn was the first out of the Blazer bullpen, and after the offense broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh, the left hander became eligible for his second victory of the season.
Seven Tyler Patriots found a base hit on Tuesday, while outfielders Sam Lane and Buddy McCoy were the only two who drove in a run. Dillon Berry's double was the lone extra base hit of the game for the home nine, while McCoy stole the team's only base.
Boomer Scarborough and
Josh Rogers hurled a scoreless inning apiece before Akins closed things out for his eighth save of the year. Each squad used five pitchers, as Gunner Baker allowed two unearned runs in his five innings of work on three Blazer hits. The right hander issued four walks and struck out for before turning things over to the Patriot bullpen.
Tyler Stallings was hit with the loss after allowing a run to cross in the top of the seventh, though Patrick Michon and Justin Sheets allowed a run apiece afterward. Tanner Sheets recorded the final two outs on the mound for the Patriots, but the Blazers wound up with their sixth consecutive victory.
Belhaven will return to action on Wednesday when they take on Texas College at Irwin Field in Tyler, Texas. First pitch is set to begin at 2:30 PM, and live audio will be available on the Blazers Sports Network.
"We don't have a ton of information on them, but we will take a good look at our scouting reports tonight," Denson said. "Hopefully, we can come away with another victory before we head back to Mississippi."