PEARL, Miss. – Belhaven baseball continued its strong start to the 2026 season on Saturday at Trustmark Park, sweeping a doubleheader over North Park and MUW to extend its seven game win streak to kick off the season. The Blazers defeated North Park 9-6 in the opener before closing the day with a 6-3 win over MUW.

GAME ONE: Belhaven 9, North Park 6

Belhaven used a late offensive surge and a strong start from sophomore left-hander Gunner Staten to take the opener.

North Park struck first in the opening inning, taking advantage of a walk and an error to plate an unearned run. The visitors added another in the third on a run-scoring play following a walk and a defensive miscue to grab an early 2-0 lead.

Staten, the reigning CCS Pitcher of the Week, settled in from there. After allowing just one hit through six innings, he kept the Vikings off balance and worked out of traffic in the third and fourth, stranding runners and giving the offense time to respond.

Belhaven broke through in the fifth. JD Weed drew a walk and stole second before Hayden Roberts tripled to right center to drive him in. Blake McCarthy followed with a groundout that brought Roberts home, tying the game at 2-2.

The Blazers grabbed the lead in the sixth. After Jake McCann singled and advanced on a throwing error, Parker Ryan launched a no-doubt two-run home run to right field, giving Belhaven a 4-2 advantage. Later in the inning, Weed singled and Roberts walked, and a wild pitch allowed another run to score to make it 5-2.

North Park answered in the seventh, loading the bases and pushing across a run on a groundout to cut the lead to 5-3. Belhaven responded immediately in the bottom half.

In the seventh, the Blazers put the game in control. McCann was hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position before Chess Parker delivered a two-RBI single to left. Austin Canale followed with an RBI single up the middle, and a passed ball allowed another run to score, stretching the lead to 9-3.

North Park mounted a late rally in the ninth, scoring three runs to trim the margin to 9-6 and loading the bases. John Wade, who earned his second save of the season, entered and induced the final groundout to secure the win.

Staten (2-0) earned the victory with six innings of one-hit ball, allowing just two runs, one earned, while striking out five. The bullpen worked through late pressure before Wade closed the door.

Ryan finished with a home run and two RBI, while Roberts added a triple and key RBI. Weed continued his strong stretch, reaching base multiple times and scoring twice.

GAME TWO: Belhaven 6, MUW 3

In the nightcap, the Blazers leaned on timely hitting and shutdown relief pitching to complete the sweep.

MUW struck early with a two-run homer in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Belhaven answered in the second when Parker walked and Canale singled, setting up a sacrifice bunt by McCann that brought home the Blazers' first run.

The Blazers tied it in the fourth. Canale singled and advanced on a wild pitch before Weed delivered an RBI single up the middle to even the score at 2-2.

After several scoreless innings, Belhaven seized control in the seventh. Brayden Thompson reached and advanced into scoring position before Nick Thornton drove him in with a groundout to give the Blazers their first lead at 3-2. McCarthy followed with a double, and Ryan delivered an RBI double to left center to extend the advantage to 4-2.

MUW scratched across a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly, but Belhaven responded immediately in the bottom half. Canale singled, McCann added a base hit, and Thompson brought home a run on a bunt play. Weed followed with another RBI single to push the lead to 6-3.

On the mound, Kaleb Smith provided four solid innings before Logan McNamara kept MUW off the board across the fifth and sixth. Sage Rivere earned the win with 1.1 innings of work, and in a unique twist, Hayden Roberts came on in relief to record the final five outs for his first save of the season.

Canale paced the offense in game two with four hits and two runs scored. Weed continued his hot streak with three hits and two RBI, building on his recent production that included multiple clutch hits against Hardin-Simmons and East Texas Baptist earlier in the week.

Belhaven will look to carry that momentum forward as they travel to Texas to take on LeTourneau on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:00 PM.

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