JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven Blazers used six homeruns over two games Wednesday afternoon to sweep Centenary in a doubleheader 12-4 and 9-1 at Jim McLeod Field.
Carly Yasses led the way for the Blazers (7-5) with three homeruns in the two games against Centenary (6-4), first with a solo shot in the second inning of game one. The senior then hit a pair of solo homers in game two, the first coming in the first inning and the second coming in the third.
The catcher finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate with a hit by pitch, scoring all four times she reached base.
Dani Craft started game one with a single and the immediately stole second and third. On third, Craft was then in position to advance home on a passed ball for the first run of the day.
Craft finished the day with three singles, and also reached base twice with walks. Craft scored four runs and also had four stolen bases in the game.
After
Makenzie Hawkins and Yasses reached base,
Savannah Lyon hit the first homerun of the day to put the Blazers up 4-0.
Lyon finished the day with three hits and two runs scored. Like Yasses, she also reached base with a hit by pitch.
The inning wasn't over as
Jordan Herring then helped her case in the circle with a double down the right line that scored
Haley Yasses and
Brooke Laigast. Herring then scored with Craft and
Hannah Holloway doubled to center field, capping an eight-run first inning.
After Carly's homer in the second, Belhaven added two more runs in the third inning. Hawkins started the scoring by hitting a single down the left field line to score
Savannah Johnston.
Peyton Eschette then followed it up with a single to right field to score Craft.
Centenary responded with an unearned run in the fourth, but also hit a three-run homer in the fifth to extend the game to the bottom of the fifth.
However, the Blazers were able to cap the game as
Meg Garton reached on a throwing error, which allowed
Mary Austin Barber to score from second and trigger the run rule.
Herring picked up the win, tossing three scoreless innings while recording three strikeouts, scattering three hits and no walks.
In game two, Hawkins started the scoring with a two-run homer to left field, scoring Craft on the play. Carly followed it up for back-to-back homers and a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Crystal Kehtel led off the second inning with home run number five of the day, giving the Blazers a 4-0lead after two innings. Yasses then closed off the homers with her third of the day in the third.
Belhaven wasn't finished scoring though, as Laigast hit an RBI single up the middle to score Lyon and give Belhaven a 6-0 lead.
After Centenary scored an unearned run in the fifth, Belhaven responded as Barber hit an RBI groundout to score
Megan Goss from third.
The Blazers sealed the game in the sixth inning, scoring two runs on the same wild pitch. With runners on second and third Eschette scored straight from third on a high pitch that hit the backstop.
Johnston advanced to third and when the catchers through back to home was wide and headed to the circle, Johnston broke for home and was tripped up at third, causing interference, allowing her to walk home for an eight-run lead to trigger another run rule finish.
Julienne Broussard earned the win in game two, pitching three innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. Broussard recorded the first seven outs of the game via the strikeout.
Taylor Surrento also tossed three innings in the game, allowing four hits and one unearned run. Surrento had three strikeouts and did not allow a walk.
Belhaven finished the day with 22 hits, a .393 batting average. They also had seven walks and an on base percentage of .477 for the day. Belhaven was also 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts.
The Blazers will return to action on Friday with a doubleheader against ASC opponent Concordia Texas. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at McLeod Field.
