Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Belhaven softball team advanced to the round of four in the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament after splitting a pair of games on Friday at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. The Blazers, ranked 15^th in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to 7^th ranked Spring Hill in the winner's bracket, but bounced back with a 7-6 win over the University of Mobile to keep their championship hopes alive.
 
(Box Score-HTML Spring Hill) (Box Score-HTML Mobile)
"Unfortunately we are still struggling to find ways to finish games," Belhaven Head Coach Kevin Griffin said. "The good thing about game two is that we showed enough composure to win the ballgame after giving up a big lead. It was good to see senior Jessica Paris step up with a big day at the plate along with Dominque Corona who has hit the ball well all season long."
 
Game one of the day against Spring Hill had the makings of a low scoring game on paper and that's how the contest played out. The Badgers Caroline Sagrera kept Belhaven (40-14) in check through the first four innings before surrendering two runs in the top of the fifth.
 
With two outs in the fifth, Haley Yasses kept the inning alive with a base hit to center field saving an at-bat for Jessica Paris. Paris broke the scoring drought with a two run homer, her 5^th of the season, to give the Blazers a 2-0 edge.
 
Ginger Lonergan held back the Badgers until the sixth when they tied up the game with two outs. With two outs, Sam Leach and Mary Beth Glass launched back to back solo home runs making it a 2-2 contest going into the seventh. Spring Hill (39-11) clinched the 3-2 win on a sacrifice by Shea Blanchard in the bottom of the inning.
 
Lonergan pitched 6.2 innings and suffered the loss, allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Corona recorded a multi hit game, going 2 for 3 at the plate for the Blazers. Paris was 1 for 3 with the two run home run followed by Yasses with a base hit and a run scored.
 
Sagrera (34-8) earned the victory on the strength of a complete game performance. Sagrera gave up two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Leach and Glass had the biggest hits of the game for Spring Hill with their solo blasts in the sixth inning.
 
The Blazers showed resiliency against Mobile (27-23) and held on to keep their hopes of a championship alive. Still reeling from the loss to Spring Hill, Belhaven quickly fell behind when Anna Blake Barnette led off the contest for the Rams with a solo home run.
 
Paris recovered and went on to retire the next 13 straight hitters, giving the offense a chance to get rolling. The bats began to heat up in the second when Belhaven tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Josie Porter. The Blazers plated two more runs in the third on a double by Victoria Sorrell. Crawford and Corona both scored on the play to make it a 3-1 game.
 
Belhaven began to pull away in the fourth with the addition of three more runs. Paris crushed her second home run of the day and sixth of the season to start the frame before Corona hammered a two run homer over the wall in left. It was Corona's fifth round tripper of the season and gave the Blazers what appeared to be a comfortable 6-1 lead.
 
Paris cruised through the first six innings in the circle, but the Rams would not go quietly scoring five times in the top of the seventh. The two key hits in the inning were a two run home run by Allie Luster and a game tying two run single off the bat of Jordan Coleman with two outs.
 
The Blazers didn't buckle under the pressure and the offense stepped up to pull out the victory in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Katy Adair and Sorrell picked up back to back singles and then moved to second and third on a ground out by Paris. That set the stage for Porter's game winning hit that came with two outs and two strikes. Porter dropped a base hit into right center chasing home Adair for the game winner.
 
Lonergan (16-6) recorded the final out in the seventh inning and picked up the win in the circle. Paris received a no decision, tossing 6.2 innings in Friday's night cap. Paris allowed six runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Offensively, Porter, Corona, and Sorrell each had three hits and two runs batted in. Adair picked up two hits and touched the plate for the game winning run. As a team, Belhaven enjoyed a 15-8 advantage in total hits against Mobile.
 
Mackensie Williams (9-12) pitched 4.1 innings for Mobile and was tagged with the loss. Williams was charged with two runs on nine hits with two walks and one strikeout. Alyssa Kornegay gave up the other five runs on the night for the Rams. Luster and Coleman paced the offense with a hit and two RBI apiece.
 
Belhaven now needs to win at least two games to make it to the championship contest in order to earn an automatic bid into the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The Blazers will have to win fourth straight to claim the SSAC title.
 
The journey starts against second ranked Auburn-Montgomery in an elimination game Saturday morning at 10:00 AM.
 
"We have been battle tested on our side of the conference all year long to prepare us for a team like Auburn-Montgomery," Griffin added. "We know they are highly ranked, but hopefully we will give them our best shot."