Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven softball team split a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon with 6^th ranked William Carey at McLeod Field. The Blazers, ranked 13^th in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, rallied from a three run deficit in game one to pull out a 5-4 victory. In the night cap, the Crusaders prevailed 3-0 to earn the split.
 
(Box Score-HTML Game 1) (Box Score-HTML Game 2)
"I'm proud of the way our girls battled from behind in the first game to pull out a win," Belhaven Head Coach Kevin Griffin said. "We had some great at bats with some disciplined approaches to the plate. However, we need to sweep conference doubleheaders when we win the first game. For some reason we seem satisfied with splits, but need to be more focused mentally going into the second game."
 
In game one, William Carey (37-5, 20-4 SSAC) scored twice in the top of the third inning without the aid of a hit. Belhaven pitcher Jessica Paris threw high to first base on a comebacker to the mound off the bat of Lauren Little. Little later scored on a fielder's choice and Relanda McFarland touched home plate on a wild pitch for the second run.
 
The Crusaders expanded their lead to 3-0 with a run in the fifth before Belhaven (37-10, 19-7 SSAC) exploded for five runs in the home half to take the lead. Denee' Crawford blasted her team high 6^th home run of the season over the fence in center to get things rolling. Paris then helped her own cause at the plate with an RBI single and a two run double by Dominique Corona capped the inning. The Blazers took advantage of a William Carey miscue to secure the fifth run.
 
Over the next two innings, it was up to Paris to hold the lead and she met the challenge head on. The Crusaders recorded a run in the sixth, but failed to tie or take the lead. Paris retired pinch hitter Hannah Cook-Kelley to end the game in the seventh.
 
Paris notched her 12^th win of the season in the circle by battling through seven innings for a complete game. Paris (12-2) allowed four runs, only one earned, on two hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Katy Adair had two hits for the Blazers at the plate followed by Corona with a hit and two runs batted in. Paris and Crawford rounded out the lineup with one hit and an RBI each.
 
Brittany LeBlanc logged 4.1 innings and surrendered five runs on four hits with a walk and one strikeout to suffer the loss in the circle. Caroline Walker and Sarah Beckman had the only hits for William Carey in the first game. Walker and Beckman each had a hit and an RBI.
 
William Carey bounced back in the second game thanks to the arm of starting pitcher Brittany Lang. Lang worked around seven Belhaven hits and managed to fire a shutout over the course of seven innings. She walked one and struck out one to earn the victory.
 
The Crusader offense broke through for a run in the fifth on an RBI double by Caroline Walker and then tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Beckman doubled in a run and then a fielding error by second baseman Josie Porter opened the door for the second run. The Blazers brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't break through against Lang.
 
Ginger Lonergan went the distance in game two in the circle and suffered just her fourth loss this season for the Blazers. Longergan (13-4) permitted three runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout. Corona had a big game at the plate going 3 for 4 with a double. Shelby Watson, Victoria Sorrell, Adair, and Paris recorded one hit in the scorebook apiece.
 
The Crusaders offense was paced by McFarland, Walker, and Beckman with two hits each. Walker and Beckman were both credited with a run batted in.
 
The Blazers will head to Mobile, Alabama this weekend for a pair of Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheaders. Belhaven will take on the University of Mobile Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM followed by a battle with Spring Hill on Saturday at 12:00 PM.