PEARL – The Belhaven Baseball team picked up a hard-fought 5-3 win over Stevens on Wednesday night at Trustmark Park, improving their record to 12-7 on the campaign.

The Blazers struck first in the opening frame when Owen Abney delivered a two-out RBI single to score JD Weed, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch.

After a scoreless stretch, Stevens broke through in the sixth inning with two runs, but Belhaven responded in the bottom half. Parker Ryan roped a crucial RBI double into right field, and Josh Neutze followed with another double inside the third-base bag to drive in the go-ahead run to put the Blazers up 3-2.

Belhaven added two more runs in the seventh, capitalizing on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Dathan Cummings and a sacrifice fly from Blake McCarthy to extend the lead to 5-2.

The Ducks made a late push in the eighth with a solo home run, but the Blazers' bullpen shut the door. Gunner Staten (2-0) earned the win with a solid relief outing, and Lane Alack picked up his first save by securing a clean ninth inning.

Offensively, Abney led the charge with three hits, while Ryan and Neutze each delivered key extra-base knocks. The pitching staff combined for 10 strikeouts, with Cole Burton delivering 5.1 strong innings to start the game.

Belhaven returns to action this weekend for a three-game set against Piedmont. First pitch is set for 6:00 PM on Friday night.

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