JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven Baseball team completed their Monday doubleheader sweep of Alma College in impressive fashion as their bats came alive and they produced 32 runs across the two contests. 

GAME ONE

The first game of the day set the tone for what the games would be between these two squads as they traded blows inning after inning. Alma struck first with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 1st only for Belhaven to answer with a pair of runs in the top half of the 2nd inning.

A two-RBI single though would then put the Scots back in front in the home half of the 2nd inning with a 4-2 lead. Nick Lucido's RBI double in the 3rd inning cut into the deficit but Alma would get the run back with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 4th inning. 

Belhaven trailed 5-3 to open the 5th inning before Nick Lucido scored on a wild pitch and then Preston Conlee tied the game with an RBI single. Alma restored their lead in the bottom of the 5th and then opened up the largest advantage of the game with a four-run frame in the bottom of the 7th. 

With the Blazers trailing 10-5 entering the 8th inning, Dawson Albin delivered a leadoff double that jump started the frame for Belhaven. Nathan Herron followed up with a double of his own and came around to score on Caleb Whittle's RBI single. With the bases loaded, Mason Despaux pinch hit for the Blazers and reached on a error that scored a pair of runs.

In the same frame, Matthew Charbonnet's sacrifice bunt scored Hunter Estes from third to tie the game and then pinch runner Shawn Mitchell-Harvard scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball. 

Belhaven protected their lead in bottom of the 8th and 9th inning with Colton Syvester coming in and closing the door on any potential Alma rally.

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Jake Carr: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, K
Logan Goodreau: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Noah Whatley: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, K
Colton Sylvester (W, 1-0): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 K

BELHAVEN BATTING LEADERS

Hunter Estes: 2-4, RBI, BB, 3 R
Caleb Whittle: 2-4, RBI, BB, 3 R
Dawson Albin: 2-6, 2B, R

GAME TWO

Game Two of the doubleheader delivered the fireworks as well as the Blazers finished with 21 runs on 20 hits. Belhaven got the scoring going early in the bottom of the 1st inning when they struck for four runs, all with two outs, taking the lead in the bottom of the 1st inning. 

Alma got a run on the board in the 2nd inning but the Blazers answered with another four spot as Matthew Charbonnet, Dawson Albin, Caleb Whittle and Hunter Estes all delivered RBI base hits. The Scots cut the Belhaven lead down to 8-2 after 3 innings and then would explode for six runs in the top of the 4th tying the game at 8-8.

Belhaven got an immediate response in the bottom of the 4th as they put up a four-run frame for the third time in the first 4 innings. Kyle McLaughlin delivered a two-RBI base hit before Matthew Charbonnet grabbed his second RBI hit of the game to put Belhaven on top 12-8. 

The Blazers extended their lead with a couple of runs in the bottom of the 5th on Caleb Whittle's and Preston Conlee's RBI singles but Alma put up their biggest inning of the game when they scored 8 runs in the top of the 6th inning and flipped the script on Belhaven. 

For the first time Belhaven found themselves behind in the second game but the deficit didn't last long as they struck for three runs in the bottom of the 6th, including two on an RBI triple by Caleb Whittle, and restored the lead. Belhaven added another three runs in the bottom of the 8th and despite a solo homer for the Scots in the top of the 9th, polished off the 21-17 win. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Luke Miller: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Noah Freeman: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB
Tucker Jones: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 6 ER, 3 BB
Preston Canale (W, 1-1): 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, K
Jacob Doyle (S, 1): 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K

Belhaven is set to return to action on March 7th when they host Millsaps College at Trustmark Park for the second game of the 2023 Cowboy Maloney Series. 

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