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JACKSON -- Senior right-hander Jake Jones pitched a gutsy game on the hill for Centre, topping a game-high 89 on his 143rd pitch of the ballgame in recording the final strike, to give the 3rd-seeded Colonels a 4-2 upset win over No. 1 seeded Millsaps in the opening round of the SCAC Tournament at Smith-Wills Stadium on Thursday night.
The win for Centre (10-21) was its first in the SCAC Tournament since April 26, 1996, when they knocked off Trinity University 3-2 in an elimination game and was also the first win of the day for the SCAC East, with 2nd-seeded Rhodes College and the No. 1 seeded DePauw Tigers both suffering defeat.
Millsaps (32-7) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, using an RBI-double from \#Hunter Owen\# that scored \#Russ Boyd\# all the way from first.
After two scoreless innings from both sides, Centre plated its first runs of the game on a two-RBI single to right-center from Cory Crowdis in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Held to just one hit the opening three innings, Centre loaded the bases on back-to-back-to-back hit-by-pitches from Millsaps starter \#Aaron Williams\# before pushing across the go-ahead runs. Ryan Smith capped a big inning with an RBI-groundout for a 3-1 cushion.
Centre extended its lead to 4-1 in the seventh, after rallying behind their defense in holding the Majors to just two hits the previous three innings, taking advantage of senior Brandon Rosen's two-out, RBI-double that scored Steven Proctor.
Millsaps responded with a run in its half of the seventh to cut it to 4-2, using an RBI-double from \#Todd Barnthouse\# just inside the rightfield line to score \#Tait Hendrix\# from second after a pinch-hit single to leadoff the frame. The rally stalled, however, as Jones retired the final two batters in order on strikes and off a hard hit lineout to short.
Centre looked to build upon a two-run lead in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with no outs after a leadoff walk and throwing error, but couldn't find the offense to score the pair. \#Drew Maddox\#, who picked up the final out in the seventh, got a groundout and then an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded to get out of the jam.
Millsaps couldn't capitalize off its defense though, going hitless the final two innings and striking out three times to fall in the opener, 4-2.
Freshman Cameron Fishman went 3-for-4 from the plate to pace the Centre offense, while Crowdis grabbed two of the Colonels four RBIs. For Millsaps, Barnthouse was 2-for-3 with an RBI with Owen grabbing the other one.
Centre will move on to face Trinity University at 7 p.m. tommorow night, while Millsaps will take on red-hot Hendrix College at 3:30 p.m.
