PEARL – The Belhaven Baseball team combined for a pair of shutouts on Friday to take the first two games of a three-game set with Covenant. The Blazers won the opener, 7-0, before earning a 4-0 victory in Game 2.

Game 1: Belhaven 7, Covenant 0

The Blazers opened the scoring in the second inning when Austin Canale drove in Cole Fletcher with an RBI single to right. The score remained 1-0 until the fifth when Owen Abney and Fletcher added to the lead with back-to-back run-scoring groundouts.

The big blow came a few batters later as Blake McCarthy homered inside the left-field foul pole, a three-run shot to put the Blazers in front 6-0.

Hunter Harrell added the final tally for the Green and Gold with an RBI single to right in the home half of the eighth before Logan Goodreau threw a scoreless ninth to preserve the shutout victory.

Kade May once again was dominant for Belhaven. The senior righty pitched 7.2 scoreless innings while striking out three. Goodreau faced the minimum in his 1.1 innings out of the bullpen.

Key Performances

• Hunter Harrell: 2-5, RBI
• Tristan Pearson: 2-4, 2B, R
• Austin Canale: 2-2, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB, SB
• Hayden Roberts: 2-3, R, BB, SB
• Blake McCarthy: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, SB
• Kade May (W, 4-2): 7.2 IP, 11 H, 0 R, 3 K

Game 2: Belhaven 4, Covenant 0
Pitching had the upper hand early in Friday's nightcap as both teams traded zeroes until the fifth. After several Covenant errors set the table for the top of the Belhaven lineup, Hunter Harrell delivered an RBI single up the middle to put the Blazers in front.

Belhaven added another in the following inning as Parker Ryan singled through the left side for a two-out RBI base hit. 

Harrell and Nick Thornton each doubled in runs in the bottom of the seventh to push the Blazers' lead to 4-0. Lane Alack slammed the door shut in the ninth to secure a second consecutive shutout and CCS series victory for the Green and Gold.

Key Performances

• Hunter Harrell: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Tristan Pearson: 2-3, R
• Nick Thornton: 3-4, 2 2B, RBI, R
• Parker Ryan: 2-4, RBI
• Colton Sylvester (W, 4-1): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 8 K
• Lane Alack (S, 2): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 4 K

The Blazers will look to complete the series sweep of Covenant tomorrow in the finale. First pitch is set for 6:00 PM.

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