The No. 4-ranked Belhaven University baseball team saw its 12-game winning streak end Wednesday with a 15-10 loss to Methodist at Armstrong-Shelley Field in Fayetteville, North Carolina, according to school athletics.
Methodist took control early, sending 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and scoring nine runs. Blake Freeman opened the scoring with a three-run homer, and Israel Ortiz added a two-RBI double as the Monarchs built a 9-0 lead.
The Blazers responded with a rally in the third inning, scoring twice after Trey Smith was hit by a pitch and Austin Canale singled. Belhaven continued to chip away, narrowing the gap to 11-4 in the fifth inning. Hayden Roberts and JD Weed contributed key singles, and Parker Ryan hit a two-run homer in the sixth to bring the Blazers within two runs.
Belhaven’s pitching staff kept the game within reach, with Caleb Johnson and Logan Gruber combining for scoreless relief innings. The team’s biggest rally came in the sixth, when Jake McCann reached on an error, Smith and Canale drew walks, and Roberts delivered a two-run single to make it 11-9.
Methodist responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, including a run on a balk and an RBI single. Belhaven scored again in the eighth when Smith hit his first home run of the game, a solo shot that trimmed the deficit to 13-10. Methodist added a run on a wild pitch in the bottom half and held the Blazers scoreless in the final two innings to secure the win.
Despite the loss, Belhaven remains 12-1 overall and is ranked No. 4 in the latest D3Baseball.com poll. The team is set to continue its road trip at Berry College for the Berry Invitational later this week.
For updates on Belhaven athletics, follow @BelhavenBlazers on Twitter and Instagram, and like them on Facebook. Supporters can also visit Team Green Giving to assist the program.
