BROWNWOOD, Texas- The Howard Payne University baseball team fell to Belhaven University 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at Don Shepard Park.

The Yellow Jackets got off to a rocky start, allowing the Blazers to score two runs in the top of the first inning.

Howard Payne got on the board in the third inning, scoring on a Derek Gifford single that plated Joey Villarreal. The Yellow Jackets tied the game in the fifth inning, making the score 2-2.

Belhaven scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take the 5-2 lead. HPU tried to make a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs but fell one run short.

Joey Villareal and Derek Gifford both went 2-for-4 at the plate. Gifford had two RBI.

Kyle Purdes (2-3) recorded the loss throwing 7.2 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits. 

Howard Payne falls to 4-10 on the season and 1-8 in conference play. Belhaven sits at 13-5 overall and 8-1 in the conference. The Yellow Jackets will play Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana, on March 26-27th.