SEGUIN, Texas - The Belhaven Softball team was beaten in extra innings on Friday by #2 Texas Lutheran as the two opened up their three-game Super Regional series in the NCAA DIII Softball Championships.

Neither team was able to find a breakthrough early in the contest despite both teams getting base runners aboard in the first few innings. Haley Hanson picked up a one-out single in the top of the 1st but was left stranded before the Bulldogs got a leadoff base hit but were unable to advance the runner.

Both teams continued to go quietly in the first few innings as Kennedy Carruth escaped a small jam in the 2nd inning and Belhaven was unable to take advantage of two runners on in the top of the 3rd.

The scoring started in the bottom of the 6th inning when got a runner into scoring position with two outs and were able to drive her in on an important two-out double. That run gave Texas Lutheran a 1-0 lead heading to the final inning of regulation.

The Blazers would find a way to keep the game going though after Ellie Jones reached on an infield single and advanced to third on a groundout on the infield. Sydney Runnels then picked up an important one-out base hit to center field to tie the game at 1-1 and force the contest into extra innings. 

In the top of the 8th, the Blazers got a two-out base hit from Haley Hanson but saw the inning end on a caught stealing. Texas Lutheran was then able to end the game in the home half of the frame after a leadoff double and an RBI single scored the winning run. 

The loss pushes Belhaven into a must-win matchup on Saturday against the Bulldogs as the Blazers need to take both games against Texas Lutheran to advance to the final round of the NCAA Championships. Saturday's schedule starts with the second game of the series at 5 PM with a third and final game scheduled for 7:30 PM if needed.

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