PEARL, Miss. — Belhaven’s baseball team advanced in the College Conference of the South Tournament after a dramatic ninth-inning rally Saturday night at Trustmark Park.
With the game tied at 4 and bases loaded with two outs, Hayden Roberts hit a single up the middle to drive in the winning run. It was Roberts’ first career walk-off hit, and it kept the Blazers alive in the tournament.
The victory avenged an earlier tournament loss to LaGrange and sets up another elimination game Sunday against the loser of Piedmont and Maryville. The winner will earn a spot in the CCS Championship Series.
Both teams had scoring opportunities early, but strong pitching and defense kept the game close. LaGrange scored first in the third inning on an RBI single. Belhaven responded in the bottom half when Trey Smith and Jake McCann reached base, setting up Nick Thornton for an RBI single that tied the game at 1.
Belhaven starter Cole Burton settled in after the third inning, pitching into the seventh and limiting damage. He finished with 6.1 innings, five strikeouts and allowed five hits, helping keep the game within reach.
The Blazers took the lead in the sixth, sparked by Thornton’s single. Austin Canale followed with a double, putting two in scoring position. Roberts then delivered a two-run single to give Belhaven a 3-2 lead. A heads-up baserunning play later in the inning extended the lead to 4-2 when Roberts scored on a single from Parker Ryan.
LaGrange responded in the seventh, rallying for two runs to tie the game at 4. Belhaven’s bullpen held firm, with Sage Rivere and John Wade combining for 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Wade pitched two shutout frames, striking out two and allowing only one hit, to keep the game tied heading into the ninth.
In the decisive inning, Smith led off with a single and was replaced by a pinch runner. McCann sacrificed him to second, and Blake McCarthy followed with a single. An intentional walk loaded the bases, setting the stage for Roberts’ game-winning single through the middle.
Belhaven will face the winner of the Piedmont-Maryville game in another elimination contest Sunday, with a trip to the CCS Championship Series at stake.
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