CLINTON, Miss. - The Belhaven University Softball team dropped a pair of contests during their American Southwest Conference Softball Championship Tournament on Friday, May 7. The Blazers fell in game one, 4-1, to the Hardin Simmons University Cowgirls, and dropped their second game, 7-5, to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Cru.

GAME ONE

The Cowgirls got out to an early lead as they plated a solo run in the top of the first inning. The Blazers responded with their only one in the game in the bottom of the second as Kennedy Carruth led off with a double and later scored on a groundout by Cade Bass knotting up the game at 1-1. The Cowgirls broke the tie with a solo run in the fourth and a pair of runs in the seventh to take a 4-1 lead over the Blazers, while a three-up-and-three-down bottom of the seventh secured the win for the Cowgirls.

Kennedy Carruth drew the start in the circle and fell to 20-3 overall. Carruth pitched six and one-third innings allowing four runs, one earned on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Bailey Root pitched two-thirds of an inning of scoreless relief allowing one walk. The Blazers totaled three hits as Marlee Blackwell, Kennedy Carruth, and Abby Trahan had one hit each with Cade Bass leading the team with one RBI.

GAME TWO

The Blazers had a different start to their game against the Cru as they plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first as Elizabeth Taggard drew a one-out walk, while back-to-back singles by Allie Gordon and Kennedy Carruth scored Taggard giving the Blazers a 1-0 lead. Gordon then scored on a sacrifice fly by Anna McNeer increasing the Blazers lead to 2-0.

The lead would be shortlived for the Blazers as the Cru plated four runs in the second and three runs in the third inning to take a 7-2 lead. However, the Blazers would not go down without a fight as they cut into the Cru lead with a pair of runs in the fifth as Marlee Blackwell started the inning with a single and then scored on a double by Elizabeth Taggard. Taggard later scored on a double by Kennedy Carruth as the Blazers cut the lead down to 7-4. The final run for the Blazers came in the sixth inning as Macy Brabham smashed a solo home run to left field cutting the Cru's lead down to 7-5, but the Blazers next five batters over the last one and two-thirds innings were all retired consecutively sealing the 7-5 win for the Cru and knocking the Blazers out of the ASC Softball Championship Tournament.

Bailey Root drew the start for the Blazers and fell to 7-5 overall. Root pitched two and one-third innings allowing six runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks with one strikeout. Kennedy Carruth pitched four and two-thirds innings in relief allowing one unearned run on two hits and one walk with two strikeouts. The Blazers totaled seven hits during the contest as Kennedy Carruth led the team with two hits while Marlee Blackwell, Elizabeth Taggard, Allie Gordon, Cade Bass, and Macy Brabham had one hit apiece, Carruth also led the team with two RBI while Taggard, McNeer, and Brabham had one RBI each.

The Blazers are now 30-10 overall in the 2021 season.

For the latest news on Belhaven Blazers athletics, follow @BelhavenBlazers on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.