COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Belhaven Softball team wrapped up the third day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Sunday with two more wins as they finished the weekend unbeaten with a pristine 6-0 record. The Blazers knocked off #15 St. John Fisher 8-2 in the their first game of the day before closing out the tournament with a 4-2 win over Illinois Wesleyan.

GAME ONE

In the first game of the day on Sunday the Blazers faced their fourth NFCA Top 25 ranked program of the weekend and came away with a convincing 8-2 win over #15 St. John Fisher. It was the Cardinals who took an early lead in the game opening the scoring in the 1st inning with a two-run home run to put them in front 2-0.

Belhaven answered quickly though and in the bottom of the 1st inning an RBI double by Kennedy Carruth following by an RBI base hit by Ellie Jones levelled the game at 2-2. The Blazers took their first lead of the game when Allie Gordon grabbed her 4th home run of the season and 2nd on the weekend putting Belhaven in the lead 4-2. In the same inning, freshman Ellie Jones picked up her 2nd career homer putting the Blazers up 5-2 in the 3rd inning.

The Blazers continued to pull away with Allie Gordon grabbing another RBI with a base hit that scored Jordan Kanipe in the 4th inning. Belhaven would not be finished though in the frame with Kennedy Carruth and Ellie Jones each adding to their RBI totals on the day to put BU up 8-2 after four innings.

In the latter stages of the game Kennedy Carruth partnered with Dallas Blaker to shutdown the Cardinals offensively keeping them off the board from the 2nd inning onward. With the win the Blazers grabbed their 6th win of the year over an NFCA Top 25 opponent and 4th at the Leadoff Classic. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Kennedy Carruth (W, 8-0): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 9 K
Dallas Blaker: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 K

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

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

GAME TWO

In the second game of the day and final of the weekend the Blazers knocked off Illinois Wesleyan University 4-2 with some late inning offense that proved to be the difference. Ellie Jones continued her stellar weekend with an RBI base hit in the 1st inning to put the Blazers in front early over the Titans.

Illinois Wesleyan was able to respond quickly though scoring a run on an RBI triple in the bottom half of the frame to level the game at 1-1 through just one inning. Haley Hanson helped Belhaven retake the lead in the top of the 3rd with an RBI base hit scoring Marlee Blackwell but once again the Titans answered in the bottom of the frame leveling the contest at 2-2. 

The Blazers were able to find the difference though as Haley Hanson once again put BU in front with her second RBI base hit of the game scoring Rylee Landreaux in the 5th inning. Belhaven tacked on an insurance run in the 6th inning on an RBI single from Carley Ingle that brought Macy Ziskin across the plate and Belhaven pitcher Gracey Baucom iced the game as she finished off her complete game win with shutout frames in the final four innings. 

Belhaven's win over Illinois Wesleyan pushes their winning streak out to 11 games now as their record on the season improves to 12-1. With a 6-0 record on the weekend the Blazers were one of just two programs to go unbeaten at the tournament and were named Runners-Up by the NFCA due to run differential. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Gracey Baucom (W, 2-1): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 K

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Haley Hanson: 3-4, RBI
Macy Ziskin: 2-3, R
Carley Ingle: 2-3, RBI 
Marlee Blackwell: 1-3, 2B, R
Ellie Jones: 1-3, RBI

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