GOODMAN, Miss. - The Belhaven Baseball team picked up its third straight sweep to open CCS play, taking two from Covenant College on Saturday at Charlie Donald Field. Belhaven won a tight one 6-4 in the opener before run-ruling the Scots 10-0 in the final game of the series. The Blazers (17-9, 9-0 CCS) have firmly established themselves as one of the hottest teams in the nation with their 14-game winning streak.

GAME ONE

Belhaven opened the scoring in the 1st as 2-hole hitter Caleb Whittle homered for the second time this weekend to put the Blazers up early.

Covenant answered with a run of their own in the following half inning, but Belhaven regained the lead in their next chance as Nick Lucido swiped third before scoring when the ball was overthrown into left field. 

The high-scoring affair continued into the 3rd as Covenant scored two runs to take the lead, but Belhaven starter Luke Miller was able to strand the bases loaded to keep the deficit at just one. 

The Blazers' offense once again battled back to take the lead in the 4th as Lucido drove in Dawson Albin and Whittle with a two-run single to right.

Both starters settled in during the middle innings as Covenant put up the only run with an RBI double in the 5th. After 5.0 solid innings from Miller, Noah Whatley came in and retired the first nine he faced to keep the score tied heading into the bottom of the 8th. 

The Blazers broke the tie as Whittle sprinted home on a wild pitch. Lucido continued to swing a hot bat, lining an RBI double to extend the Belhaven lead to 6-4 going into the final frame.

Whatley stayed locked in on the mound, retiring the first two in the 9th before a single and a hit-by-pitch brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Whatley shut the door as he got the next Covenant batter to ground out to Dawson Albin at short, ending the contest and clinching another series win. 

Whatley (2-0) earned the win, allowing just one hit in 4.0 innings in relief.

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Luke Miller: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 K
Noah Whatley (W, 2-0): 4.0 IP, 1 H

BELHAVEN HITTING LEADERS

Caleb Whittle: 1-3, HR, RBI, 3 R, BB, 2 SB
Nick Lucido: 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R, SB

GAME TWO

Record watch was on in the Game 2 of the doubleheader as Belhaven starting pitcher Brett Sanchez entered his outing just four strikeouts shy of tying Larkin Braxton's career strikeout record at Belhaven at 273. The Blazers' starter wasted no time as he punched out two in the top of the 1st to close in on the record.

Two more strikeouts in the 2nd put Sanchez in a tie at the top of the list. A leadoff, two-strike single spoiled the historic moment, but Sanchez was able to strike out the next Covenant batter to record his 274th career strikeout at Belhaven and further cement himself as one of the best hurlers to don the Green and Gold.

While Sanchez was dealing on the mound, the Belhaven bats got going in the 3rd as Chase Kitchens doubled and Kyle McLaughlin singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Kitchens came in on a passed ball to get the scoring started.

Matthew Charbonnet drove in McLaughlin with an RBI groundout as the Blazers took a 2-0 lead into the 4th. Nathan Herron plated the Blazers' third run of the game on a RBI groundout in the home half of the 4th. 

Belhaven broke it open in the 5th, hanging a four-spot on the Scots' relief pitcher to take a 7-0 lead. Dawson Albin, Hunter Estes, and Nick Lucido each had RBIs in the inning. 

Caleb Whittle drove in a run with a sac fly to center in the 6th before Estes lined a pitch into centerfield for the Blazers' ninth run of the contest. 

With the ten-run rule in effect, Kyle McLaughlin secured the series sweep with a one-out single to left to score Nathan Herron, giving Belhaven a 10-0 win and a third straight sweep to open league play. 

Sanchez (4-1) picked up the win, going 7.0 innings, allowing just a single hit and striking out 11. As it stands today, Sanchez has racked up 280 strikeouts as he looks to pile on to his new Belhaven record. 

BELHAVEN PITCHERS

Brett Sanchez (W, 4-1): 7.0 IP (CG), 1 H, 11 K

BELHAVEN HITTING LEADERS

Kyle McLaughlin: 4-4, 3 R, RBI, 3 SB
Hunter Estes: 2-4, 2 RBI, R
Nick Lucido: 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB
Chase Kitchens: 2-4, 2B, R

The top two teams in the league are set to do battle this upcoming weekend as Belhaven travels to LaGrange for a three-game set against the No. 9 Panthers. First pitch of Game 1 is set for 6:00 PM on Thursday, April 6th.

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