JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven Baseball team split their Friday doubleheader against Mary Hardin-Baylor as they resumed conference play after a midweek break. The visitors took the opening game of the series 7-0 in a seven-inning contest. Belhaven bounced back though in the nightcap with a 2-1 win behind a complete game performance from Brett Sanchez.

GAME ONE

In the series opener the Cru jumped out to an early lead after loading the bases in the 2nd inning. UMHB pushed across a pair of runs in the frame before adding a third in the 4th inning on a sac fly. Mary Hardin-Baylor made it a 4-0 lead in the 6th inning on another sac fly and then added a trio of runs in the 7th inning to ice the game. 

Belhaven looked for a pathway back into the game and got a pair of runners on in the bottom of the 7th inning but where unable to break through in the end. The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Blazers and marked their first conference loss since February 26th to Concordia.

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Harris Coleman (L, 4-2): 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 K
Will Swift: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 K

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Chase Kitchens: 1-2
Caleb Whittle: 1-3

GAME TWO

Looking to bounce back and even the series in the second game of the doubleheader the Blazers leaned on a stellar outing from starter Brett Sanchez. In the low-scoring affair it was once again the visitors who struck first with a single run in the 4th inning on a ground out that scored a run from third. In the frame though Sanchez was able to get a pair of strikeouts to end the inning and strand another runner at third base. 

Belhaven consistently got runners aboard but the breakthrough wouldn't come until the 6th inning when the Blazers took advantage of some costly Cru errors and timely breaks for BU. Nathan Herron tied the game after reaching on an infield single and advancing to second on a throwing error. Herron advanced to third on a groundout by Dawson Albin and scored on the same play when UMHB committed their second error of the frame.

The Blazers would then take the lead when Hunter White scored on a two-out base hit by Caleb Whittle that would prove to be the game winning RBI. With the lead the Blazers defense along with Sanchez shut down the Cru at the plate to tie the series and set up a defining series finale on Saturday. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Brett Sanchez (W, 3-1): 9.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 7 K

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Nathan Herron: 2-4, R
Caleb Whittle: 1-3, RBI
Hunter White: 1-3, R, SB

The Blazers and Cru will square off in a series finale on Saturday at Twenty Field on the campus of Millsaps College. First pitch is set for 1 PM. 

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