The No. 18-ranked Belhaven baseball team rallied in both games Saturday afternoon to sweep LaGrange in a doubleheader at Trustmark Park. The wins improve the Blazers’ record to 23-8 overall and mark their second conference series sweep of the season, after also defeating Maryville earlier this year.
In the first game, Belhaven scored six runs in the eighth inning to erase a five-run deficit and win 6-5. The game was scoreless through six innings, with starter Cole Burton keeping LaGrange off balance until the seventh, when the visitors scored five runs on four hits. The Blazers responded in the bottom half, with Hayden Roberts and Parker Ryan driving in runs to cut the deficit to 5-2.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Trey Smith hit a bases-clearing triple to tie the game at 5-5. Smith then scored on a wild pitch to give Belhaven a 6-5 lead. Gavin Brint pitched a scoreless eighth for the win, and Hayden Roberts closed the game in the ninth for his second save of the season.
The nightcap saw Belhaven rally again, overcoming an early 4-0 deficit to win 7-6. LaGrange scored once in the first and three times in the second, capitalizing on defensive miscues. The Blazers chipped away, with Roberts delivering a two-run double in the fourth and Marvin Jackson hitting his first career home run, a three-run shot in the sixth that tied the game at 6-6.
Belhaven took the lead in the sixth with an RBI single by Braydon Evans. The bullpen then took control, with Caleb Johnson earning the win and Sage Rivere throwing two scoreless innings. John Wade finished with his eighth save of the season, second-most in NCAA Division III this year.
The Blazers will face Millsaps in the decisive Game 3 of the Cowboy Maloney Series Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Millsaps. Fans can follow updates on @BelhavenBlazers on Twitter and Instagram or like Belhaven Athletics on Facebook.
