Lookout Mountain, Georgia — The No. 19 Belhaven University baseball team lost the final game of its weekend series at Covenant on Saturday, 9-7, after winning the first two contests. The Blazers now hold a 20-8 record this season, according to team sources.
Covenant scored first with a sacrifice fly in the opening inning, but Belhaven responded later in the game. The Blazers tied the game in the fourth inning after Parker Ryan and Chess Parker reached base, leading to a throwing error that allowed a run to score. A wild pitch later in the inning brought home another run, evening the score at 2-2.
Covenant took an early lead with a two-run third inning, capitalizing on timely hitting with runners on base. Belhaven regained the lead in the fifth, beginning with a hit-by-pitch to Blake McCarthy. Nick Thornton doubled to bring in McCarthy, and after a wild pitch, Austin Canale’s sacrifice fly made it 4-3. The Blazers’ pitching staff worked out of a jam in the bottom half of the inning to preserve the lead.
The host team responded with runs in the fifth and sixth innings, taking the lead with a two-run sixth that included an RBI extra-base hit and a passed ball. Belhaven threatened in the sixth and seventh but was unable to score, stranding multiple runners each inning.
In the eighth, Jake McCann singled, and McCarthy drove in a run with an RBI single to narrow the deficit to 6-5. Covenant responded with a big eighth inning, stringing together extra-base hits to plate three runs and extend its lead to 9-5. In the ninth, Canale hit his second home run of the season, and Owen Abney drove in a run with a double, but the Blazers’ rally fell short as a strikeout ended the game with the bases loaded.
Belhaven returns home next week to host LaGrange in a three-game series as part of the CCS schedule. Fans can follow the team on Twitter and Instagram at @BelhavenBlazers and like their Facebook page for updates. Supporters are also encouraged to visit Team Green Giving to back Belhaven Athletics.
