PEARL, Miss. — The No. 11 Belhaven baseball team continued its undefeated start to the 2026 season Saturday, winning 12-11 in dramatic fashion against Hanover at Trustmark Park. The victory marked the Blazers’ 12th win without a loss, the best record in NCAA Division III, and completed a weekend series sweep.
Hanover struck first, scoring five runs in the second inning. After a leadoff single and two walks loaded the bases, Kadin Bush drove in two runs with an RBI single. Wesley Stiller followed with a double, and Trevor Jones added an RBI single. A sacrifice fly later in the inning pushed the Panthers ahead 5-0.
Belhaven responded quickly. Parker Ryan hit a solo home run, and Owen Abney tripled before Jake McCann drove him in with an RBI single, trimming the deficit to 5-2. The Blazers continued to chip away, scoring four runs over the next two innings to narrow the gap to 7-5. Hanover answered with two runs in the fourth, including a two-RBI single from Fox Spears, pushing the lead to 9-5.
Belhaven’s bullpen kept the game within reach. Cole Covington and Shawn Mitchell-Harvard pitched key innings, holding Hanover at bay. The Panthers added two more runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 11-6.
In the seventh, Belhaven started another rally. Hayden Roberts scored after advancing on a balk, reducing the deficit to 11-7. The Blazers’ offense exploded in the eighth, scoring five runs to tie the game. Austin Canale and Nick Thornton drew walks, and Jake McCann loaded the bases with a walk. An error allowed two runs to score, and Ryan’s RBI double and Abney’s single tied the game at 11.
In the bottom of the ninth, Belhaven quickly set up the game-winning run. JD Weed drew a leadoff walk, and Nick Thornton hit a double to move him to third. After Jake McCann was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Weed and securing the walk-off victory.
Ryan led Belhaven with three hits, including a home run and a double, and drove in four runs. Abney also had three hits, including a triple, with two RBIs. McCann added three hits and an RBI. McCarthy scored three runs, and Roberts drove in three. Seven pitchers combined for the win, with John Wade earning the save after a scoreless ninth inning.
The Blazers improve to 12-0, maintaining their top ranking in NCAA Division III and remaining No. 11 in the latest D3Baseball.com poll. They will hit the road next week for three consecutive games. Follow @BelhavenBlazers on Twitter and Instagram, and like them on Facebook for updates. Support Belhaven athletics through Team Green Giving.
