GULF SHORES, Ala. - Belhaven overcame a two-run, mid-game deficit to clinch the 4-3 decision over Faulkner in the opening round of the double-elimination Southern States Athletic Conference tournament here this afternoon.

Belhaven rocketed onto the scoreboard with two outs in tow in the first inning when Ashlee Hitt, the SSAC Player of the Year, did just that delivering a solo homer to hard left field.

Holli Brooks went bigger the following inning, however, when she cracked a three-run shot to right-center catapulting Faulkner into a 3-1 lead.

Belhaven began gaining ground with a Carly Yasses RBI single in the fourth and regained control of the ball game with a two-run double courtesy of Emily Todd in the fifth. Todd was 3-for-3 in the event.

The Lady Eagles fought out of a precarious defensive situation which included a squeeze attempt in the bottom of the sixth inning to keep hope alive, but a three up, three down seventh solidified the Belhaven victory.

Mattie Dotson (13-9) scattered eight hits over six innings and gave up four earned runs in the loss. The senior had four strikeouts.

Brooks and Hannah Qualls were both 2-for-3 with Brooks driving in all the runs.

"We didn't do what we should have done and we were there. We were there," head coach Hal Wynn told his team after the game. "Even taking our mistakes out of it, I go back to the fifth inning when we had two runners in scoring position with no outs and didn't get anything out of it. You have to be ready to play tomorrow. You're going to play excellent softball and you're going to win."

Faulkner (26-19) will take on Coastal Georgia in elimination-game action Friday at 10 a.m. The two teams split both regular season showdowns.