PEARL, Miss. - The Belhaven Baseball Team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 6-3 win over No. 25 East Texas Baptist on Friday evening at Trustmark Park.
After working around traffic in the first, Belhaven broke through in the bottom of the second.
Hayden Roberts sparked the inning with a single to left center and later stole second. On a failed pickoff attempt, Roberts advanced to third and came home on a throwing error to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.
Later in the frame,
Chess Parker doubled down the left field line, and
Austin Canale followed with an RBI single to plate Parker and extend the advantage to 2-0.
Belhaven added two more runs in the third, capitalizing on Tiger miscues.
Nick Thornton drew a leadoff walk, and
Jake McCann delivered a single to right. A pair of throwing errors allowed Thornton to score and McCann to move up. Moments later,
Owen Abney reached on another throwing error, bringing home McCann to push the lead to 4-0.
On the mound,
Cole Burton worked out of early pressure, stranding runners in both the first and third innings to preserve the lead.
East Texas Baptist cut into the deficit in the fourth when Nathan Harmon doubled and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Carter Nannini, trimming the lead to 4-1.
Belhaven answered in the fifth. Abney singled up the middle and moved to third on a base hit by
Parker Ryan. After Ryan stole second, Parker reached on a throwing error that allowed Abney to score, extending the lead to 5-1.
The Blazers manufactured another run in the seventh. Ryan worked a walk and advanced to second on another failed pickoff attempt.
Chess Parker came through again with a single through the left side to drive in Ryan and make it 6-1.
East Texas Baptist made a push in the eighth. After a hit batter, Harmon doubled for the second time in the game to bring home a run. Justin Flannery followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 6-3.
Caleb Menard limited further damage, stranding a runner to keep the three-run cushion intact.
In the ninth,
John Wade closed it out. Despite two hit batters, Wade recorded a pair of strikeouts, including a swinging strikeout to end the game and earn his first save of the season.
Burton (1-0) earned the win after tossing 5.0 innings, allowing one run while striking out five.
Cooper Sirk provided 1.2 scoreless innings in relief and worked out of a seventh-inning jam with two runners aboard. Menard bridged the gap before Wade sealed the victory.
Parker and
JD Weed each collected two hits to lead the offense.
Belhaven will look to carry the momentum into the remainder of the series as the Blazers continue their early-season homestand vs. ETBU.
The Blazers play the Tigers twice tomorrow with first pitch set for 11:00 AM.
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