PEARL, Miss. - The Belhaven Baseball team fell 5-3 to Hanover in their series opener on Thursday. 

The visitors would strike first in the opening inning with the Blazers responding quickly with a run of their own to even the score. Will Swift helped control the momentum of the game early on as the senior right-hander gave up just one run in six innings as well as finishing with four strikeouts on the day. The Blazers would pick up a run in the second inning and would grab another one in the fourth as Hunter Harrell hit a sac fly to give Belhaven a 3-1 advantage.

After a quiet stretch, Hanover got back on the board in the eighth, bringing in two runs to tie the game. The visitors proceeded to grab two more runs in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead. The Blazers made a valiant last push in the final inning by loading the bases but would unfortunately fall short. 

Notable Performances

Will Swift: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 4 K
Cole Fletcher: 2-3, 1 R
Owen Abney: 2-4, 1 R
Josh Neutze: 1-2, 1 R

The Blazers will look to bounce back as they continue their series against Hanover in a doubleheader this Saturday. First pitch will take place at 11 AM with Game Two to follow. 

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