COLUMBUS, Ga. – Belhaven Softball split the final day of the NFCA NAIA Leadoff Classic, defeating Park University in the bracket semifinals before falling to Campbellsville in the bracket championship.
 
In the semifinals, Belhaven jumped ahead early and never looked back, defeating Park 7-3.
 
After Josie Porter led the game with a walk and took second and third on a sacrifice bunt, Emily Todd gave the Blazers an early lead with an RBI double to right field.
 
In the second, Belhaven doubled its lead as Victoria Sorrell scored on a fielder's choice ball put in play by Haley Yasses.
 
Ashlee Hitt gave the Blazers a 3-0 lead in the third inning when she singled to right field, scoring Porter, who reached earlier in the inning with a walk.
 
Todd then gave the Blazers a 5-0 lead with a two-run homerun later in the third inning, scoring Hitt on the play.
 
Park answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning, capitalizing on a two-out Blazers error that prolonged the inning.
 
That would be as close as Park would get as Belhaven answered back with a run in the bottom of the fourth and then added another run in the sixth inning.
 
Jordan Herring pitched a complete seven innings for the win. Herring allowed three runs, only one of the earned, on eight hits and three walks. She finished with seven strikeouts in the game.
 
In the championship game, Belhaven's offense never got going, as the Blazers were only able to generate two hits.
 
Belhaven fell behind in the first after an error allowed Campbellsville to go ahead 1-0. The Tigers added another run in the second inning and the score remained 2-0 until the fifth inning when Campbellsville used a three run homerun to seal the victory.
 
Campbellsville added another three run homerun in the sixth, along with one more run, to go up by the final score of 9-0.
 
The Blazers will now set their sights on Gulf Shores, Alabama, as the Green and Gold get set for a two-day tournament. Belhaven will open up the Gulf Coast Invitational with William Penn and Central Methodist on Friday, March 6.