Demorest, Georgia — The No. 8-ranked Belhaven baseball team fell 22-10 to Piedmont on Friday afternoon at Loudermilk Field. The game was part of a three-game series, with Belhaven now holding a 17-6 record for the season.
Belhaven jumped ahead early, with Nick Thornton hitting a solo home run in the first inning. Piedmont responded with a two-run inning, but the Blazers regained the lead in the second. JD Weed hit a two-run home run, and Austin Canale added an RBI single. Blake McCarthy’s sacrifice bunt drove in another run, making it 5-2.
The Blazers extended their lead in the third and fourth innings. Chess Parker singled, and a throwing error allowed a run to score in the third. Owen Abney hit a two-run homer in the fourth, following a leadoff double by Hayden Roberts, pushing the score to 8-3.
Belhaven stayed productive in the fifth, with Canale driving in a run to make it 9-8 after Piedmont chipped away. The Lions tied the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the inning with a five-run rally and again in the fifth with a sacrifice fly.
Hayden Roberts briefly put Belhaven back in front with a solo shot in the sixth, making it 10-9. However, the game turned in the bottom of the sixth when Piedmont scored 13 runs. After a leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt, the Lions capitalized on multiple hits and defensive errors to flip the game into a 22-10 lead.
Belhaven was unable to recover from the big inning. The Blazers will look to win the series with the final game scheduled for Saturday. Fans can follow updates on X and Facebook, and support the team through Team Green Giving.
