Belhaven University Athletics

PEARL, Miss. - Belhaven's season was on the line, and it came down to the final swing.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, Hayden Roberts lined a single up the middle to bring home the winning run, lifting the Blazers to a 5-4 win over LaGrange on Saturday night at Trustmark Park. It marked Roberts' first career walk-off hit and kept Belhaven alive in the CCS Tournament.  

The win also avenged an earlier tournament loss to LaGrange and sends the Blazers into another elimination game tomorrow against the loser of Piedmont and Maryville, with a spot in the CCS Championship Series on the line.

Both teams had opportunities early, but pitching and defense kept things tight. LaGrange pushed across the first run in the third on an RBI single after a two-out hit extended the inning. Belhaven answered in the bottom half when Trey Smith and Jake McCann reached, setting up Nick Thornton for an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.

Starter Cole Burton settled in after the third and gave Belhaven a chance to stay within striking distance. The right-hander worked into the seventh, limiting damage despite scattered traffic. In the fifth, he worked around a baserunner who moved into scoring position, and in the sixth he allowed a run but avoided a bigger inning by keeping the ball on the ground. He finished with 6.1 innings and five strikeouts, keeping the deficit manageable in a game that never got away.

Belhaven flipped the game in the sixth with its best offensive stretch of the night. Thornton started it with a single, and Austin Canale followed with a double to put two in scoring position. Roberts came through with a two-run single to give the Blazers their first lead of the game. Moments later, heads-up baserunning added another run. After a single from Parker Ryan, Roberts broke for the plate and scored on the play to stretch the lead to 4-2.  

LaGrange answered in the seventh, putting together a rally to tie the game at 4-4 with a pair of runs on consecutive hits. With momentum shifting, Belhaven turned to the bullpen.

Sage Rivere helped limit further damage, and John Wade took over in the eighth and shut things down. Wade delivered two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two to keep the game even heading to the ninth.  

That effort matched what Belhaven's staff has done throughout the tournament. As a group, the Blazers have held opponents to a .240 batting average while posting a 3.96 ERA over three games.  

Belhaven's final at-bat started with urgency. Smith led off with a single and was lifted for a pinch runner. McCann executed a sacrifice bunt to move the runner into scoring position, and Blake McCarthy followed with a single to put runners on the corners. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, the Blazers were one out away from extra innings.

Roberts made sure it didn't get there.

On the first pitch he saw, the senior shot a single back through the middle, bringing home the winning run and setting off the celebration.  
  Belhaven keeps its season alive and will return to Trustmark Park tomorrow for another elimination game against the loser of Piedmont and Maryville.

A trip to the CCS Championship Series will be on the line.

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