JACKSON, Miss. — The Belhaven softball team’s 10-game winning streak ended Tuesday after splitting a doubleheader against Illinois Wesleyan at Jim McLeod Field. The Blazers won the opener 4-3 in walk-off fashion before falling 5-4 in the second game, according to school officials.
In the first game, Belhaven rallied for a walk-off win after overcoming early defensive errors. Grace Langston delivered an RBI single in the second inning to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead. Illinois Wesleyan responded in the third with two runs, capitalizing on two Belhaven errors. Riley McDoniel and Isabella Boskey each drove in runs for the visitors, giving them a 2-1 advantage.
Belhaven’s defense kept the game close. Karley Rouse worked out of traffic multiple times, including a key double play in the sixth inning to keep the deficit at one. The Blazers mounted their comeback in the fifth and sixth innings, with Maryanna Guy and Liberty Gillihan driving in runs to tie the game at 3-3. In the bottom of the seventh, Melissa Lopera hit a walk-off home run to left field, sealing the victory. Lopera finished 2-for-4 with the game-winning homer, and Gillihan added two hits and a triple.
The second game saw Belhaven jump out to an early lead but unable to hold it. Illinois Wesleyan scored twice in the seventh inning to complete the comeback and end the Blazers’ winning streak. The visitors scored first in the opening inning but Belhaven responded with two runs, including an RBI double from Kaleigh Steverson and a single from Gillihan. The Blazers added a run in the third to lead 3-1.
However, Illinois Wesleyan chipped away, tying the game in the fifth and then taking the lead in the final inning on a triple from Anna Beckman. Gillihan led the offense with two hits and two RBIs, and Steverson added two hits including a double. With the split, Belhaven’s record moved to 16-7. The team will next face Agnes Scott in a doubleheader Friday.
