JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven University softball team dropped their first two games on the season on Saturday against Howard Payne University at McLeod Field to open American Southwest Conference play. The Blazers lost game two by a final score of 7-6 and fell in game three 10-3.

The Blazers have suffered some injuries at the shortstop position. All three players who can play shortstop have gone down with season-ending injuries. Sarah Depperschmidt had three different meniscus surgeries. Averi Pender broke her hand and had pins put in and Abby Mondy went down in game two of the series with a compound fracture in her leg.
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INSIDE THE MATCHUP

Final: Game 1 Howard Payne 7, Belhaven 6

Final: Game 2 Howard Payne 10, Belhaven 3

Records: Belhaven 3-2

Location:  McLeod Field | Jackson, Miss. 

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HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One

- The Blazers and Yellowjackets could not plate any runs in the opening two innings of the game.

- Howard Payne struck first in the contest, scoring a run in the top of the third inning to give the Yellowjackets the 1-0 advantage.

-  BU opened the third with a Brittany Chetta walk. Abby Mondy then singled to move Chetta to third base and Platt came in to run for Mondy on first base. Marlee Blackwell stepped up to the place and hit a sacrifice fly to score Platt, and tie the game up at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning.

- The Blazers continued to score in the third inning when Baily Root hit a 2-RBI triple to extend the lead to 3-1. The Green and Gold tacked on two more running in the bottom of the third to make the score 5-1.

-  In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Blazers added an insurance run when Marlee Blacked drill a solo shot to extend the lead to 6-1.

-  The Yellowjackets got a run back in the top of the fifth inning to bring the score to 6-2.

- HPU's offense exploded in the top of the sixth inning scoring five runs on five hits to take the 7-6 lead.

- The Blazers could not plate any runs in the sixth or seventh innings to give the Yellowjackets the 7-6 victory and gave Belhaven their first loss on the season.

Game Two

- Howard Payne jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after Thompson scored off of a SAC Fly from Hill in the top of the first inning.

- The Blazers and the Yellowjackets were held scoreless in the second and third inning, as the score remained 1-0 going into the top of the fourth.

- HPU added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning after a two-run double from Anderson to bring the score to 3-0.

- The Blazers could not stop the Yellowjackets hot bats in the top of the fifth inning as Howard Payne extended their lead to 7-0.

- Marlee Blackwell crushed a two-run homer to score Belhaven's first runs of the contest in the bottom of the fifth inning. After the home run, the Blazers trailed 7-2 heading to the top of the sixth inning.

- Howard Payne Platted three runs in the top of the sixth inning, but BU got one run back after Drianna Dollar doubled to left field to score Danielle Darmohray to make the score 10-3.

- Neither team scored in the seventh inning as the Blazers would drop game three of the three-game series by a score of 10-3.
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GAME ONE 

Hitting Stats

- The Blazers posted 10 hits as a team as Marlee Blackwell, Allie Gordon and Danielle Darmohray had two hits apiece.

- Abby Mondy, Bailey Root, Marissa Rice, and Brister Curry tallied the other four runs in the contest.

- Marlee Blackwell and Bailey Root led the Green and Gold with 2 RBI. 

Pitching Stats

- Kassie Shipley started the game in the circle, but earned a no-decision on the contest.

- Jordan Self took the loss for the Blazers to go 2-1 on the early season from the circle.
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GAME TWO

Hitting Stats
- In game two, the Green and Gold had a total of 10 hits as a team and posted no errors on the contest.

- Bailey Root and Allie Gordon finished 2-4 from the plate offensively.

- Brianna Dollar posted two hits, while Marlee Blackwell finished 1-4 with a two-run homerun.

- Brister Curry went 1-for-3 from the plate.

Pitching Stats

- Bailey Root got the start in the circle for the Blazers and tossed 5.0 innings of action.

- Kassie Shipley came on in relief and gave up two runs with both of them earned.

- Mariah Sosa then relieved Shipley and gave up one hit and walked two batters.

- Jordan Self closed the game out in the circle throwing 1.1 innings and only walked one batter.
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BU Head Coach Kevin Griffin Comments on the Series

"It was a very tough day for our team emotionally.  I'm not taking anything away from Howard Payne, but seeing a teammate go down like that is hard to bounce back from.  We've been hit by the injury bug to three major players and are only 5 games into our season." "I told our players today that these circumstances can't define who we are as a team, but it gives us a great opportunity to achieve some things together that would be very rewarding if we can piece things together and play for each other the rest of the way!"

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UP NEXT

Belhaven faces Millsaps College on Tuesday on the road at Millsaps in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. with game two to follow.

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