LaGRANGE, Ga. – The Belhaven Baseball team earned a massive series win on the road on Saturday, taking a decisive third game by a final of 9-7 to take the series two games to one.
Game 1: Belhaven 5, LaGrange 15 (7 Innings)
After a quiet first inning for both teams, the hosts plated five runs in the bottom of the second, capitalizing on six hits and a Belhaven error to grab a early lead. Despite the early deficit, Belhaven showed grit in the third, clawing back with three runs highlighted by a two-run double from Owen Abney.
The Blazers kept battling, cutting the lead to 5-4 in the fourth when Pearson drove in Eli Britt with a clutch two-out single. The Panthers tacked on two more in the bottom of the fourth and broke things wide open in the fifth with a three-run homer, extending the lead to 10-4.
Each team scored a run in the sixth before the Panthers plated four in the seventh to end the game early.
Key Performances
Game 2: Belhaven 9, LaGrange 7
With the series even heading into the finale, it was Belhaven who jumped out to an early advantage thanks to a three-run double from
Blake McCarthy in the opening frame.
Dathan Cummings added another with an RBI single to score McCarthy and put the Blazers up 4-0.
LaGrange answered with two of their own in the inning, but
JD Weed tacked on another run to the Belhaven lead in the fourth with an run-scoring fielder's choice. The Panthers evened the contest with a two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth, but Belhaven responded in the sixth with a sac fly from
Tristan Pearson to regain the lead at 6-5.
The hosts grabbed their first lead of the game in the following inning with a pair of runs before
Parker Ryan tied things up with an RBI double in the top of the eighth inning. After
Gunner Staten kept the game tied in the bottom of the inning,
Hunter Harrell picked up the game-winning base knock in the ninth with a two-run single up the middle.
Freshman
John Wade picked up the save with a scoreless ninth frame to seal a hard-fought series win over the Panthers.
Key Performances
- Nick Thornton: 2-5, 2 R
- Hunter Harrell: 1-5, 2 RBI
- Blake McCarthy: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Dathan Cummings: 2-4, R, RBI
- Austin Canale: 2-4, R
- Parker Ryan: 1-1, 2B, RBI
- Gunner Staten (W, 4-0): 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 K
- John Wade (S, 1): 1.0 IP, K
Belhaven returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Memphis to take on Rhodes. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.
For the latest news on Belhaven Blazers athletics, follow @BelhavenBlazers on
Twitter and
Instagram, and like us on
Facebook. To support Belhaven Athletics check out
Team Green Giving.
