JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven Baseball team fell in its series opener to the 12th-ranked Texas at Tyler Patriots 5-4 on Friday evening at Smith-Wills Stadium.
 
Belhaven (16-11, 6-7) got out to an early start with three first inning runs, but UT-Tyler (19-8, 9-4) responded with five unanswered runs in the middle innings to seal the victory.
 
The Blazers started the bottom of the first with four straight singles. After a Jacob Byrd single and stolen base, Terrell Hodges followed with a single to score Byrd. After a Hodges steal, Adam Kowalczyk singled to bring home Hodges.
 
After a Trey Eschberger single and a Daniel Ammirati bunt to put Eschberger and Kowalczyk at second and third, respectively, Will Mullen brought home Kowalczyk on a groundout for the Blazers' third run.
 
UT-Tyler scored two runs in the third, tied the game in the fourth with a single run and brought home the go-ahead run in the fifth.
 
The Blazers added a fourth run in the bottom of the eighth. Ammirati brought home Kowalczyk, who doubled to start the inning, on a throwing error, but the Green and Gold could not scratch across the tying run after that run scored.
 
Eschberger and Byrd extended their respected on-base streak in the first inning. Eschberger has now reached base in 17 consecutive games, while Byrd has now reached base in 12 straight games.
 
Belhaven will wrap up the three-game series Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. doubleheader from Smith-Wills Stadium.