JACKSON, Miss. - Luke Finley scored twice in the opening 63 seconds, and
Justin Ramirez made eight saves as Belhaven held off Piedmont 2-1 Saturday at Belhaven Bowl Stadium.
Finley put the Blazers ahead at 0:43 after Piedmont goalkeeper Jean Franco Loria saved an attempt by
Eddie Tye. Twenty seconds later, Finley scored again to give Belhaven a 2-0 lead before the Lions had taken a shot.
Belhaven kept creating chances throughout the half. Franco Loria saved attempts from Ivan Quiñones and
Adrian Sanchez, and Quiñones struck the crossbar in the 23rd minute. At the other end, Ramirez stopped all five Piedmont shots on goal before halftime to preserve the two-goal lead.
Piedmont pressed in the second half and cut the deficit to 2-1 when Davis Knight converted a penalty kick at 77:37. Ramirez finished with three saves after the break, and the Lions came closest to an equalizer when Daris Mustic hit the bottom-left post in the 87th minute.
Finley led all players with five shots as Belhaven finished with a 17-10 advantage in attempts. Piedmont put nine shots on goal to the Blazers' six, making Ramirez's eight saves decisive.
Belhaven improved to 8-7-1 overall and 2-2 in the CCS with its second straight win.
The Blazers close the regular season at Huntingdon on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff in Montgomery is set for 5 p.m.
