JACKSON -- In one of the most anticipated early season matchups between a pair of top teams in the South Region, host Millsaps outlasted Rhodes 14-13 in a 3-hour and 36 minute slugfest to sweep its Second Annual Wilson/DeMarini Classic at Twenty Field.

In a game that featured a combined 30 hits, 27 runs and eight different pitchers, the Majors pushed across the game-winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning off a \#Jeremy Aliff\# two-out, bases loaded walk. 

Millsaps (3-0) scored first in its opening at-bat, putting the leadoff batter on and using senior \#Russ Boyd\#'s 2-run homer to leftfield.  Two innings later the lead grew to 7-2 after a five-run rally in the third inning with two outs by means of a two-RBI double from \#Billy Murphy\#, \#Josh Ordeneaux\# RBI-single and \#Hayes Brian\#'s first collegiate home run.

Rhodes (3-1) slowly chipped away at the Majors' five-run lead, plating two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to pull within 9-6 after five.  A four-run sixth inning, highlighted by a Brent Lindsey 3-run bomb over the leftfield fence, gave the Lynx their first lead of the ballgame at 10-9 but it wouldn't last long.

The Majors responded to a four-run sixth inning for the Lynx with a three-run inning of their own, using a solo home run from freshman \#Todd Barnthouse\# and a two-out, RBI-single from Boyd to pull back in front 12-10.

After both teams scored single runs in the seventh inning, Rhodes drew even at 13-13 in the top of the 8th when Kyle Peterson pushed across a run with an RBI-groundout and Chris Conkell added an RBI-single to left center.

Millsaps loaded the bases in the 8th with two outs after a Boyd single, \#Hunter Owen\# hit-by-pitch and \#Tyler Berry\# walk, and after almost getting hit by a pitch on the first ball he saw, Aliff stood in the box and drew a bases loaded walk off Max Gertz for the game-winning RBI.

Sophomore \#Andrew Pearce\#, who entered in the 8th in relief of freshman \#Steven Comeaux\#, tossed the final 2.0 innings to earn the win for Millsaps in impressive fashion.  Pearce had to fight through the meat of the Rhodes lineup in the 9th, striking out Matt Gilbert to win the game with Lindsey waiting at third for the game-tying run.

Eight different Majors recorded a hit in the win, with Boyd and \#Billy Murphy\# providing three RBIs apiece.  Rhodes was led by Lindsey who went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and Peterson who was 2-for-5 with four RBIs.

Millsaps will hit the road for its next two games, taking on Piedmont College in a Monday/Tuesday non-conference affair.  First pitch for both games is 2 p.m. CST and can be seen on www.atwsportscast.com with the "Voice of the Majors" Derrel Palmer.

Game Notes:
• Senior Hunter Owen had a 14-game hitting streak snapped
• Millsaps is now 6-0 all-time in the Wilson/DeMarini Classic
• All three Millsaps games went over the 3-hour and 10-minute mark