MARSHALL, Texas - The Belhaven University Softball team returned to action with a road doubleheader in American Southwest Conference play against East Texas Baptist University on Friday, April 23. The Blazers and Tigers split the doubleheader with the Blazers taking game one, 5-1, while the Tigers nabbed game two, 2-0.

GAME ONE

Offense was sparse for both teams as they had just eight combined baserunners through the first four innings. The Blazers broke the scoreless tie with a five-run top of the fifth as Anna McNeer drew a lead-off walk followed by Haley Hanson reaching on an error and Alayna Adams being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Abby Trahan then singled scoring McNeer, while Elizabeth Taggard hit a double scoring Hanson and Jovi Jones who was brought in as a pinch runner for Adams. Allie Gordon then singled scoring Trahan while Taggard scored on a sacrifice fly by Kennedy Carruth giving the Blazers a 5-0 lead.

The lone run for the Tigers came in the bottom of the fifth inning, while back-to-back three-up-and-three down sixth and seventh innings for the Tigers sealed the 5-1 win for the Blazers.

Kennedy Carruth got the start for the Blazers and improved to 17-2 overall. In the complete game effort, Carruth allowed one unearned run on two hits and four walks with three strikeouts. The Blazers totaled seven hits during the contest as Abby Trahan led the way going 2-for-3 at the plate, while Marlee Blackwell, Elizabeth Taggard, Allie Gordon, Cade Bass, and Anna McNeer had one hit each. Taggard led the Blazers with two RBI during the contest, while Gordon, Carruth, and Trahan added one RBI each.

GAME TWO

The Tigers scored solo runs in the first and second inning which would be enough to secure the split as they held the Blazers without a baserunner until the fourth inning and were hitless until the sixth inning. The Blazers best scoring threat came in the seventh inning as two baserunners reached with one out, but a popup out and a groundout ended the Blazers scoring threat and sealed the Tigers 2-0 win for the split of the doubleheader.

Bailey Root got the start for the Blazers and fell to 6-4 overall. In six innings pitched, Root allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks with one strikeout. The Blazers had three hits during the contest as Marlee Blackwell, Cade Bass, and Anna McNeer had one hit each.

The Blazers are now 26-8 overall and 18-5 in ASC play and will return to action with the decisive game three against the Tigers on Saturday, April 24. The series finale between the Blazers and Tigers is set to start at 12 p.m.

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