JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven baseball team dropped a Southern States Athletic Conference contest on Friday evening, falling 8-6 to 14th-ranked Auburn University-Montgomery. The Blazers now stand at 24-13, including a 9-9 mark in league play, while the top team in the conference saw their league record improve to 15-1.
 
"This is a frustrating loss for us, and there's no other way to say it," Head Coach Hill Denson said. "Good teams find ways to win baseball games, and we let one slip away from us tonight."
 
AUM scored a run in the first inning before Belhaven plated three in the bottom half, only to see the Warhawks do the same a frame later. The Blazers regained the lead in the sixth, going up 6-4, but Auburn-Montgomery manufactured four runs in the eighth to win their sixth straight conference game.
 
Southpaw Matt Miller gave AUM 5.2 innings on the mound, allowing six earned runs on ten hits before turning things over to the bullpen. After Clark Gray retired three batters, James Dean finished the seventh inning, picking up his first win. Kevin Franklin and Cole Goodwin each delivered a scoreless frame to finish the night, with the latter recording his second save of the year.
 
Auburn-Montgomery pitching did not issue a walk in the series-opening contest, while Belhaven arms totaled just four. Belhaven starter Ben Allison gave his team another strong outing, getting the Warhawks to ground out 17 times.
 
Allison surrendered just three earned runs in 7.1 innings of work, striking out two and walking three. Reliever David Hill (1-2) took the loss for the Blazers after the Warhawks took the lead for good in the eighth. Junior Stephen Solomon pitched an unblemished ninth inning to give the home team a chance, but, despite a two-out hit, the Blazers were unable to spark the rally.
 
Offensively, Miller hit for himself and led the Warhawk offense with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate, driving in four runs along the way. Leadoff man Darius Reese contributed just one hit, but his two-run homer in the eighth was the shot that ultimately sank the Blazers.
 
Catcher Hunter Sutton was the only Blazer hitter to drive in more than one run, but Paul Pickerrell, Adam Kowalczyk, Gabe Wilson, and Joey Harris each added two base hits. Belhaven outhit their guests 11-10, but the Warhawks took a 3-2 edge in stolen bases.
 
Belhaven and Auburn-Montgomery return to action on Saturday, when they will wrap up the series with a doubleheader. First pitch from Smith-Wills Stadium is slated for 1:00 pm.
 
"We beat ourselves tonight, and we can't do that against a good team," Denson said. "We still have a shot to win the series, but it is imperative that we make the right adjustments."