JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven Baseball team was beaten in both ends of their doubleheader against the University of St. Thomas (Houston) on Friday with both games ending in identical 7-6 scorelines.

GAME ONE

Belhaven jumped out to an early lead on Friday scoring three runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning capitalizing on a trio of Celts errors. With bases loaded Hunter Estes reached on a fielding's choice with an error by the visitors that scored two runs. Hunter White then came around to score on a subsequent base hit putting the Blazers up 3-0. The Celts responded quickly though with three runs in the 3rd inning and added two more in the 4th inning to lead 5-3 through four frames. 

The Blazers retook the lead in the bottom of the 5th inning once again putting up a three run frame. Matthew Charbonnet scored on a fourth UST error in the game and Caleb Whittle came around to score on a sac fly by Dawson Albin. Belhaven grabbed their third run of the frame on an RBI triple off the left field wall by Adam Leonard.

In the 6th inning though the visitors clawed back in front with a pair of doubles that put them in the lead 7-6 going to the final frame of the seven-inning contest. The Blazers weren't able to put together a last inning rally coming up short in the end.

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Will Swift: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 SO
Logan Goodreau (L, 0-1): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 SO
Tucker Jones: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Nathan Herron: 2-3, BB, R
Adam Leonard: 2-4, 3B, RBI, R
Hunter White: 1-3, 2B, R

GAME TWO

In the second game of the day it was the Celts who took the early lead jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st and then adding five runs in the top of the 2nd frame. Belahven was continually kept quiet at the plate and UST made it a 7-0 lead in the top of the 4th inning scoring the lone run allowed by reliever Joshua Thomas. 

The Blazers looked to have a spark in the bottom of the 5th inning loading the bases with no outs but Belhaven was unable to push across a run. In the bottom of the 7th inning the Blazers grabbed four runs sparked by another defensive error by the Celts. With bases loaded Hunter White reached base and advanced to second base on a throwing error that scored Grayson Doss and Gabe Inman. 

Belhaven grabbed a third run in the frame on a sac fly from Kyle McLaughlin and then Dawson Albin reached base on a second error in the inning by UST cutting the score to 7-4 Celts. In the bottom of the 9th the Blazers pushed to keep the game alive with an RBI double from Dawson Albin that made it a two run game and a sac fly from Caleb Whittle put the Blazers down by just a run. With the tying run at third and the winning run at second base though Belhaven was unable to grab the needed base hit coming up just short in the end. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Nate Hannum (L, 0-1): 1.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB
Joshua Thomas: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 SO
Preston Canale: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Grayson Doss: 3-5, R
Matthew Charbonnet: 2-3, BB, R
Nathan Herron: 1-3, 2 BB, 2 R

The Blazers and Celts are set to finish off their series on Saturday in the series finale. First pitch at Trustmark Park is set for 1 PM.

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