The Belhaven softball team is one win away from eclipsing a feat never accomplished before in program history.
A 4-3 victory over East Texas Baptist in game one of the Blazers’ first-ever College World Series championship round has put head coach Kevin Griffin’s squad in the driver’s seat to bring a title from the Lone Star State back home to Jackson.
Belhaven, with the bases loaded, struck first blood in the bottom of the second inning after a wild pitch by Tigers pitcher Avery Holland scored Ellie Jones to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead. The team added another run in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of an RBI single knocked to left field by Mary Moore Widemire, allowing Jordan Kanipe to reach home plate.
BLAZERS ARE 🆙‼️#D3sb | #WhyD3 pic.twitter.com/ndl7DCWDfu
— NCAA Division III (@NCAADIII) June 4, 2024
The very next inning, a three-run bomb smacked by ETBU’s Tristen Maddox put the Tigers ahead one run late in the contest. Belhaven, who had already fallen to the Tigers earlier in the CWS, was in desperate need of an offensive surge.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Jones roped a single up the middle to score a pair of Blazers and reclaim the lead. Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven’s All-American pitcher, took care of business the rest of the way and paved the path to victory.
SB | End 5th | BEL 4, ETBU 3
BACK IN FRONT
Ellie Jones drives in a pair with a base hit up the middle and fires us back in front as we head to the 6th
🖥️ | https://t.co/XJmcb52NNB#GoGreen | #d3sb | @BelhavenSB_ pic.twitter.com/xoSYy6M4BA
— Belhaven Blazers (@BelhavenBlazers) June 4, 2024
Carruth was credited with the win as she pitched all seven innings of the contest. She recorded three strikeouts and only allowed four hits and three runs.
Belhaven will return to the diamond on Wednesday at 11 a.m. central with an opportunity to sweep ETBU and become Division III NCAA champions. The game can be watched here.
