DECATUR, Illinois - The Belhaven University Softball Team finished the 2021 season dropping a pair of contests at The Great Lakes Regional in the NCAA Division III Softball National Championship. The Blazers dropped their first game of the day against Calvin, 9-6, and came up just short against Mount St. Jospeh, 4-3, on Friday, May 21.

GAME ONE

The Blazers fell behind early as Calvin plated five runs in the second inning and four runs in the third inning to take a 9-0 lead. The Blazers started the comeback with a four run top of the fifth as Macy Brabham hit a lead-off single and advanced to second on a passed ball while Abby Trahan was hit by pitch to reach first. Brabham and Trahan then advanced to third and second on a wild pitch and then later Brabham scored while Trahan advanced to third on a second wild pitch. Allie Gordon later drew a walk while both Trahan and Gordon scored on a double by Kennedy Carruth who later scored in the inning on a wild pitch cutting the lead down to 9-4.

The final two runs for the Blazers came in the sixth inning as Macy Brabham once again started the inning with a lead-off single, while Abby Trahan then drew a walk. Marlee Blackwell then singled and scored Brabham while Trahan was called out at home on the play. Blackwell scored later in the inning on a single by Elizabeth Taggard making the score 9-6. A three-up-and-three-down seventh inning by the Blazers secured the 9-6 win for Calvin.

Bailey Root got the start in the circle for the Blazers and fell to 7-6 overall. Root pitched one and one-third innings allowing three earned runs on one hit and three walks. Kennedy Carruth pitched one and one-third innings of relief allowing six runs, two earned, on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts, while Dallas Blaker pitched three and one-third innings of scoreless relief allowing one hit and three walks with two strikeouts. The Blazers totaled seven hits during the contest as Marlee Blackwell, Kennedy Carruth, and Macy Brabham had two hits each while Allie Gordon had one hit. Carruth led the team with two RBI, while Blackwell and Gordon had one RBI each.

GAME TWO

The Blazers got out to an early lead by plating a pair of runs in the second inning as Anna McNeer got the offense going by drawing a walk. Cade Bass then reached on a fielder's choice while McNeer scored on an error during the play. Haley Hanson then singled which scored Bass and gave the Blazers a 2-0 lead.

Mount St. Joseph tied the game with a pair of runs in the fourth inning; however, the Blazers regained the lead with a solo run in the bottom half of the fourth as Anna McNeer led off by drawing a walk and then later scored on a single by Abby Trahan giving the Blazers a 3-2 lead. Mount St. Joseph plated their final two runs in the top of the sixth and held the Blazers to just one hit over the final two innings to seal the 4-3 win and end the Blazers 2021 season.

Kennedy Carruth got the start in the circle and fell to 21-4 overall allowing four runs, three earned, in six innings on five hits, one walk, with three strikeouts. Bailey Root pitched one inning of scoreless relief allowing two walks. The Blazers totaled five hits during the game as Haley Hanson led the team with two hits, while Allie Gordon, Kennedy Carruth, and Abby Trahan had one hit each. Trahan and Hanson led the team with one RBI each.

The Blazers finish the 2021 season with an overall record of 31-12.

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