JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven Softball team won both ends of their Saturday doubleheader, both by a 7-1 scoreline, against Concordia (TX) to finish off their series sweep of the Tornados and improve to 6-1 on the regular season.

GAME ONE

In the front end of Saturday's doubleheader it was the visitors who took the early lead as they grabbed a run in the top of the 1st inning after a defensive error by the Blazers kept the inning alive. In the bottom of the 2nd inning though the Blazers would hit back to level the game and then take a 2-1 lead. Kennedy Carruth scored the first Belhaven run on an RBI single from Ellie Jones before Jones came around to score later in the frame on a wild pitch. 

Belhaven doubled their lead to a 3-1 advantage in the 4th inning on an RBI single from Allie Gordon that scored pinch-runner Carley Fudge. Belhaven would add to their lead later in the game with Ellie Jones driving in Anna McNeer in the home half of the 5th inning and then scoring her second run of the game on a sac fly from Sydney Runnels putting Belhaven up 5-1. 

The Blazers iced the game in the bottom of the 6th inning when Allie Gordon delivered her first homerun of the season adding two runs and putting Belhaven up 7-1, a scoreline that would hold the rest of the way. Belhaven starter Gracey Baucom grabbed her first win of the season throwing all seven innings and limited the Tornados to just the one unearned run. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Gracey Baucom (W, 1-1) - 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 K

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Allie Gordon - 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
Ellie Jones - 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R
Kennedy Carruth - 2-4, R

GAME TWO

Kennedy Carruth got the start in the circle for the Blazers in Game 2 and picked up a pair of strikeouts in the opening frame before the Blazes grabbed an early lead in the home half of the 1st inning. Carruth helped her own cause with a sac fly to put Belhaven in front 1-0 in the final game of the series. 

The Blazers offense exploded in the bottom of the 2nd inning after May Hebert doubled with two outs and came around to score on Macy Ziskin's RBI single. Ziskin scored on Haley Hanson's base hit putting the Blazers up 3-0 in the frame. Allie Gordon then grabbed her second homer of the year and second of the weekend with a three-run home run to center field doubling the Belhaven advantage to 6-0 before Carruth scored to close the inning on a bases loaded walk from Abby Trahan. 

Leading 7-0 after three innings the Tornados grabbed a run in the top of the 4th inning off relief pitcher Natalie Parker who then shut down Concordia quickly at the plate. Parker posted three innings of work and picked up a pair of strikeouts working effective innings in relief. Abby Prescott came in for the seventh inning and closed out the game for the Blazers who grabbed their second conference series win of the year. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Kennedy Carruth - 3.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Natalie Parker (W, 1-0) - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 K
Abby Prescott - 1.0 IP, BB, K

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Allie Gordon - 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, R
Marlee Blackwell - 2-3, R
Haley Hanson - 1-3, RBI, 2 R

Belhaven will be back in action this weekend as they compete in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. The Blazers will play six games in three days kicking the tournament off with a game against #1 DePauw on Friday, March 4th at 10 AM.
 

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