MARSHALL, Texas - The Belhaven Softball team clinched their second straight NCAA Division III Softball Super Regional berth on Saturday taking down #8 Texas Lutheran 2-1 and capping off a clean sweep of the Marshall Regional.

The Blazers, who knocked off Texas Lutheran on Thursday and hosts, ETBU, on Friday, needed just one win from the potential two Regional Final games to ensure their spot in the last 16 of the NCAA Division III Softball Championships.

In similar fashion to the Blazers' first two games of the weekend, runs were hard to come by and the contest would be tight throughout. It was Belhaven who got the early lead, pushing across a pair of runs in the 2nd inning. The scoring started when Anna McNeer doubled down the left field line and scored Ellie Jones for the opener. McNeer then came around to score herself as she crossed the plate on a ground ball put in play by Macy Ziskin.

After four shutout innings from Kennedy Carruth in the circle, Texas Lutheran finally got their breakthrough on a solo home run that cut the Belhaven lead in half. The Bulldogs would then get the tying run into scoring position in the top of the 6th but an important strikeout stranded the runner.

In the 7th, Texas Lutheran made one final push, utilizing a leadoff double and a passed ball to get the tying run to third base with nobody out. The Blazers through were able to dance out of danger unscathed with a strikeout and a pair of infield ground outs sealing the Belhaven victory.

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Kennedy Carruth (W, 20-4): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 9 K

BELHAVEN HITTERS

Anna McNeer: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
Madi Miller: 2-2
Ellie Jones; 1-3, R

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Madi Miller: 3-7, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Anna McNeer: 4-8, 2 2B, RBI, R
Sydney Runnels: 4-7, BB
Kennedy Carruth (Most Outstanding Player): 3-0, 21.0 IP, 15 H, 2 ER, 24 K / 2-10, 2B, RBI

With the 3-0 trip to Marshall, Belhaven has now won 17 in a row overall and 25 of their last 27 contests. The Blazers will now face #2 Berry in the Super Regional round of the NCAA Divsion III Softball Championship. The games against the Vikings are scheduled for May 26-27 with details to be announed soon.

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