Jackson, Miss. - The Belhaven baseball team had their home opener spoiled by No. 15 LSUS Friday night at Smith Wills Stadium losing to the Pilots 7-2.

LSUS goes to 7-1 overall and remains unbeaten in conference play at 4-0 with the win, snapping the Blazers five game wining streak, as their record falls to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. 

The Pilots jumped on the board in the top half of the first scoring two runs off of starting pitcher Craig Westcott. Brandon Bravata doubled down the left field line and moved to third on a passed ball. Andrew Brouillette singled up the middle to drive home Bravata to make the score 1-0 LSUS. Brent Lavallee then sent another ball into the left field corner to drive in the second run of the inning to make it 2-0.

Belhaven countered in their half of the first when Chanse Cooper led off with a single and then stole second to get into scoring position. Shawn Diehl advanced him to third on a sacrifice bunt. Following a strikeout by Timmy Foster, Craig Westcott blasted a single into right field to bring home Cooper to trim the Pilot lead to 2-1.  

Westcott worked in and out of some trouble in the top of the second to keep LSUS off the board. The Blazers knotted the score at 2-2 on an unearned run in the bottom of the second. Charlie Edwards reached base on an error by third baseman Stephen Hobbins and went to second on a passed ball by the catcher Brouillette. Edwards advanced to third on a groundout by Brent Hudson and scored on Brian McCormick’s ground ball to short.  

The contest remained tied going into the top of the fourth when LSUS took the lead for good. David Bradley reached first after being hit by a pitch. Hobbins doubled down the left field line sending Bradley to third and then came home on a sacrifice fly Josh Todd to make it 3-2 Pilots.  

The Pilots went on to add another run in the seventh inning and tacked on three more insurance runs in the ninth to secure the win 7-2.

Craig Westcott suffered his first loss of the season going the first six innings surrendering three runs on eight hits while striking out eight batters. Westcott went 1 for 3 at the plate with a single and a run batted in. Chris Bennett pitched three innings giving up four runs on four hits with three strikes.  

Justin Ennis (3-0) got his third win of the season working all nine innings for the Pilots allowing only three hits and two runs.  

LSUS and Belhaven will meet again tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 P.M.

*Story courtesy of the Belhaven Sports Information Department