PEARL, Miss. - In Belhaven Baseball's longest game of the season, albeit a 5 hour, 32 minute rain delay in between, the Blazers fell in the first game of the CCS Tournament on Wednesday.

The contest was suspended at the start of the top of the seventh inning due to weather and delayed for the majority of the afternoon before resuming later in the evening.

Belhaven moves to 28-12 on the season and will return to action tomorrow at 4:00 PM, facing the loser of the Piedmont vs. Asbury matchup.

The Blazers came out sharp early. In the first inning, Nick Thornton singled and Austin Canale followed with a walk to set the table. After another walk loaded the bases, Parker Ryan delivered a two-run single up the middle, and Chess Parker followed with an RBI base hit to give the Blazers a quick 3-0 lead.  

The Blazers added on in the second. Jake McCann reached and stole second, then came home on a sacrifice fly from Canale to make it 4-0.

LaGrange responded in the third and did most of its damage in one swing of momentum. A walk and a pair of baserunners loaded the bases before a two-run double cut into the lead. A walk forced in another run, and a two-out single brought home two more as LaGrange pushed across five runs in the inning to take a 5-4 lead.  

Belhaven avoided further damage with a double play to end the inning, keeping the deficit at one.

LaGrange struck again in the fifth, capitalizing on an error and a walk to build another big inning. With runners on, a fielder's choice brought in a run before a two-out, three-run double extended the lead to 10-4.  

Belhaven answered in the bottom half. Canale singled and later scored when Owen Abney lined an RBI single to right center, cutting the deficit to 10-5.

After both teams went scoreless in the sixth, play was halted at the start of the seventh due to weather. The game was suspended for over five hours before resuming, disrupting the rhythm on both sides.

Belhaven tried to climb back in it late. In the eighth, Parker Ryan connected for a solo home run to right field to make it 10-6.  

The Blazers kept pushing in the ninth. McCann doubled to start the inning and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Thornton, trimming the deficit to 10-7 and bringing the tying run to the plate. Belhaven put another runner on, but LaGrange was able to record the final out and hold on.

Belhaven will continue play in the CCS Tournament tomorrow at 4:00 PM, taking on the loser of Piedmont vs. Asbury earlier in the day.

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