Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Belhaven baseball team split a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader at Auburn University-Montgomery on the final day of the regular season Friday afternoon. The Blazers, ranked 24^th in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, outslugged the Warhawks in the first game 12-6, but lost the night cap 6-5 on a walk off home run in the 10^th. AUM won the overall series 2-1 after a 9-3 victory Thursday night.
 
(Box Score-HTML Game 1) (Box Score-HTML Game 2)
Game one proved to be a back and forth battle until Belhaven (38-17, 17-13 SSAC) pulled away late with four unanswered runs. The Blazers struck first in the second with RBI singles from Josiah Richard and Emilio DeSilva. Sandwiched in between was a sacrifice fly off the bat of Reagan Rutledge to make it a 3-0 game.
 
Auburn-Montgomery (27-23, 14-16 SSAC) rallied back for two runs in the second on a two run single by Brett Wellman before the Blazers launched a counterattack in the fourth. A three run blast over the wall in left center by Tyler Akins extended the lead back out to 6-2.
 
The Warhawks picked up their third run in the fourth, but then the long ball paid dividends for Belhaven again in the fifth. This time it was Brayden Dykes who jumped on a fast ball from Daniel Farrar, sending the ball over the wall in left for a two run homer.
 
Auburn-Montgomery did not go quietly by cashing in three runs in the bottom of the fifth. The big hit was a two run single by Bryan Young to make it an 8-6 contest. Fortunately, the Blazers had some firepower left and tacked on clutch insurance runs in the sixth and seventh. Dominick Francia was credited with an RBI single in the sixth followed by a two run triple from Rutledge in the seventh. Pickerrell followed Rutledge with an RBI single in the same frame pushing the lead to 12-6.
 
Boomer Scarborough battled his way to the victory on the bump for Belhaven. Scarborough (8-6) logged 4.2 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Andrew Gunn, Josh Rogers, and Austin McCann combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball to preserve the win.
 
Akins led the Blazers at the plate going 2 for 3 with three runs batted in on his fourth home run of the season. Rutledge also picked up three RBI and Dykes had two runs batted in on his first home run of the season. Francia, Richard, and Gabe Wilson also contributed two hits apiece.
 
Chad Reeves (5-5) suffered the loss for AUM after permitting six runs on six hits with four walks and one strikeout. Wellman had a big day at the plate, driving in three runs on three hits. Young ended the contest 2 for 4 with two runs batted in.
 
Things looked promising early in game two with Belhaven gaining a quick 3-0 lead. Francia drove in the first run on single up the middle and a throwing error by the Warhawks permitted the second. Then in the third, Akins roped a double to left field to chase home Rutledge from third base for a 3-0 lead.
 
AUM scored in each of the next three innings to eventually knot the score at 4-4. Tanner Ivey produced an RBI single in the third, PJ Leto knocked in a run with a base hit in the fourth, and an RBI base hit from Blake Bearden followed by a bases loaded walk to Farrar accounted for two runs in the fifth. The Blazers had picked up their fourth run of the game in the top of the fifth on a Warhawk error.
 
The contest stayed tied until the seventh when Pickerrell came through in the clutch with a two out RBI double. Leading 5-4, Belhaven had a chance to add some insurance runs in the eighth, but left runners on second and third. It would prove to be costly.
 
The Warhawks tied the game in the eighth and a walk off home run in the 10^th by Bearden sealed the 6-5 win.
 
McCann (4-3) was tagged with the loss in relief, surrendering one run on one hit with two walks and a strikeout in 1.2 innings. Rayko Bellmas pitched four innings and allowed two runs in the start. Chris Good and Josh Rogers were responsible for two runs and one run respectively. Akins went 2 for 4 with an RBI followed by Pickerrell and Francia with one hit and one RBI each.
 
Leto (4-0) earned the win in relief for AUM, firing 2.2 scoreless and hitless innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out three. The Warhawks pounded out 17 hits with three apiece form Trevor Sprowl and Bearden. Bearden had three runs batted in with one coming on the walk off home run.
 
Belhaven ends the regular season tied for fourth in the SSAC standings and will head back to Montgomery next week for the conference tournament. The tournament seeds and the bracket will be announced by the conference office later this weekend.