MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The No. 16 Belhaven Baseball team erased an early deficit, scored 10 unanswered runs, and pulled away late for an 11-6 win over Huntingdon on Friday night at Neal Posey Field in the opening game of a three-game CCS series.  

The game served as a rematch of last year's CCS Championship Game, where Huntingdon claimed a 3-1 win. This time, Belhaven flipped the script, improving to 25-8 on the season.

After a solo home run in the first gave the hosts a 1-0 lead, the Hawks added three more runs in the second with a string of base hits, pushing the margin to 4-0. They extended it again in the fourth with a two-run inning, taking a 6-1 lead as Belhaven worked to settle in on the mound.

Starter Gunner Staten battled through traffic early, and the Blazers limited further damage in the third by turning a key out with runners on base to keep the game within reach.

Belhaven got on the board in the fourth.

Austin Canale and Hayden Roberts reached to set the table, and Owen Abney came through with an RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit to 4-1.

The Blazers continued to chip away in the fifth. Jake McCann doubled to start the inning and later scored on a double from Blake McCarthy. Roberts followed with a two-run double, trimming the deficit to 6-4 and shifting momentum back toward Belhaven.

An inning later, Belhaven pulled within one. After working two runners into scoring position, Nick Thornton lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home a run and make it 6-5.

The game turned in the seventh.

Roberts led off the inning with a solo home run to tie the game at 6-6. Moments later, Easton Humphrey reached and moved into scoring position, setting up Abney for another RBI single to give Belhaven its first lead of the night at 7-6.

After a hit-by-pitch kept the inning alive, McCann delivered the biggest swing of the frame, launching a two-run home run to extend the lead to 9-6.  

In the ninth, Parker Ryan doubled to start the inning, and Marvin Jackson followed with a two-run home run to stretch the lead to 11-6 and put the game out of reach.  

Caleb Johnson earned the win with two scoreless innings, working around a pair of walks in the sixth before retiring the side in the seventh. Caleb Menard followed with two clean innings, striking out three and allowing just one baserunner to close out the game.  

Roberts becomes the fourth Blazer this season to record at least four hits in a game, while Abney notched his second straight game with at least three hits, matching a stretch earlier this season against Hanover.

Belhaven continues the series on Saturday with a doubleheader against Huntingdon as the Blazers look to build on a strong start in the opening game of the set. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.

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