ALPINE, Texas - The Belhaven University Softball team opened a road American Southwest Conference series against Sul Ross State University with a doubleheader on Friday, March 26. The Blazers swept the Lobos taking game one, 6-3, and game two, 6-1.

GAME ONE

The Lobos got out to an early lead as they plated all three of their runs in the first inning; however, the Blazers responded by plating three runs in the third inning as Marlee Blackwell hit a single to get the offense started followed by Elizabeth Taggard drawing a walk. Blackwell and Taggard then scored on single by Kennedy Carruth and Carruth later scored on a single by Cade Bass to tie the game at three runs apiece.

The Blazers then took the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth as Haley Hanson hit a two-out single followed up by an Anna McNeer single. Hanson and McNeer then scored on a single by pinch hitter Marissa Rice giving the Blazers a 5-3 lead. The final run for the Blazers came in the seventh as Kennedy Carruth hit a solo home run, her second of the season, increasing the Blazers lead to 6-3. A three-up-and-three-down bottom of the seventh for the Lobos sealed the game one win for the Blazers.

Kennedy Carruth got the start in the circle and improved to 10-2 overall with her tenth complete game of the season. Carruth allowed three unearned runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Haley Hanson, Anna McNeer, and Kennedy Carruth all had two hits apiece, while Marlee Blackwell, Allie Gordon, Cade Bass, and Marissa Rice had one hit each during the contest. Carruth accounted for three RBI, while Marissa Rice had two RBI, and Cade Bass tallied one RBI for the Blazers.

GAME TWO

The Blazers got the scoring started in the second game with a solo run in the second inning as Cade Bass hit a lead-off single and later scored as Macy Brabham reached on a fielder's choice giving the Blazers an early 1-0 lead. The Blazers added their final five runs in the third inning as back-to-back singles by Marlee Blackwell and Elizabeth Taggard got the inning started for the Blazers while Kennedy Carruth reached base because of an error to load the bases. Blackwell then scored on a single by Allie Gordon, while Taggard and Carruth scored on a double by Cade Bass. Haley Hanson hit a sacrifice fly scoring Gordon, while Bass then scored on a single by Anna McNeer giving the Blazes a 6-0 lead.

The single run for the Lobos came in the fifth inning as the Blazers went on to allow only two baserunners for the Lobos in the sixth and seventh innings to give the Blazers a 6-1 win in game two and a sweep of the doubleheader. 

Bailey Root got the game two start and improved to 4-2 with the win earning her fourth complete game of the season. Root allowed one run on two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Marlee Blackwell, Cade Bass, and Anna McNeer had two hits each, while Elizabeth Taggard and Allie Gordon had one hit apiece. Bass collected two RBI, while Allie Gordon, Haley Hanson, Anna McNeer, and Macy Brabham tallied one RBI each.

The Blazers improve to 17-5 overall and 9-2 in ASC play and will look for the series sweep against the Lobos on Saturday, March 27. The game is set to start at 11 a.m.

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