PEARL, Miss. – The Celts of the University of St. Thomas made a bit of history Saturday as they defeated Belhaven 7-2 to complete a three-game series sweep.

Chris Parsons pitched seven innings and struck out seven Belhaven batters while scattering only four hits to lead the Celts' triumph and pick up the individual win. The lone run Parsons gave up was unearned.

With the win, Celts (5-10) claimed their first-ever series sweep of another NCAA Division III opponent. The Celts recorded four-game sweeps over Arlington Baptist and Dallas Christian College last season. Both of those programs compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association – an athletics organization for small Protestant and Bible colleges – and are unaffiliated with either the NCAA or NAIA.

Knight Newcomb led the UST bats with a 2-for-4 day at the plate and two RBIs. He hit a two-RBI single to centerfield in the ninth inning that scored Dylan Lamb and Tristan Pitkin that capped a three-run inning; the five-run cushion the Celts took into the bottom of the ninth likely helped head coach David Wood breathe a bit easier after UST won two nail-biting games with identical 7-6 scores Friday. 

The Celts plated two runs in the second inning, with Kyle Bearden's sacrifice fly that scored Noah Martinez highlighting the frame.

Parsons protected a 2-1 lead for most of the middle innings before the Celts added runs in the sixth and seventh. Martinez recorded a sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Newcomb, while Kyle Bearden crossed the plate on a wild pitch in the seventh.

With the loss, the Blazers saw their record drop to 7-8.

The Celts return to action Tuesday, March 15, when they face Howard Payne in a single game at a neutral field in Temple, Texas. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. 

UST opens Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play Friday, March 18, when the Celts head to Kerrville, Texas, for a three-game series at Schreiner. Friday's contest is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.