MOLINE, Ill. -- Millsaps split a pair of games on Saturday in a rain-lengthened Central Regional, knocking off Wisconsin-Whitewater 12-4 to advance in the Winner's Bracket before dropping a 12-5 decision to top-seeded Carthage College in the nightcap.
The Majors fall to 2-1 in the tournament and will have to fight their way through the Loser's Bracket on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. with a matchup against the winner of UW-Whitewater and Wartburg College who play at 10 a.m.
"We'll go out tomorrow and let the game come to us," head coach Jim Page said. "I don't know how we're going to do it but the game will play itself out. Our goal is to make it to Monday however we can."
Carthage (35-6) advances to the championship game at 4 p.m. Sunday and will have to be knocked off twice by one of the other remaining three teams. The second championship game would be played at 11 a.m. on Monday morning.
Millsaps (34-9) opened up the day with a lopsided win over 4th-seeded UW-Whitewater, putting up a five-run second inning off two hits and an error that proved to be enough. The Majors put the first five runners on base, three by way of walks, before \#Tyler Berry\#'s RBI-single started the scoring and \#Tait Hendrix\#'s two-RBI single ended it.
UWW (27-18) cut it to 5-4 after a three-run second inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double from senior Cory Trepanier, but couldn't get any closer as Millsaps scored the game's final seven runs to earn the victory.
\#Boomer Hudson\# improved to 6-1 with a 2.10 ERA in tossing the final 6.0 innings in relief of starter \#Aaron Williams\#, scattering five hits and no runs. UWW's Jason Hooper was tagged with the loss after giving up nine runs (six earned) and walking six.
Seven different Majors grabbed a hit, while \#Hayes Brian\# had a game-high three RBIs.
In the nightcap, \#Hunter Owen\#'s record-breaking game was overshadowed by an atrocious eight-run eigth inning for 7th-ranked Carthage, which inlcuded three Millsaps errors, as the Red Men advanced to the title game with a 12-5 win.
Owen's two-RBI single to left in the seventh inning not only broke open a 3-3 tie but gave him his 200th career hit (7th player in school history) and a new Millsaps career record with his 186th RBI. The senior is also just two total bases and four stolen bases away from setting two more school records.
\#Shelby Robertson\#'s gutsy performance on the hill for the Majors helped them cling to a one run lead, after Carthage scored a single run in the seventh, but the junior ran into trouble in the eighth and was pulled after a career-high 7.1 innings of work.
"Shelby pitched good enough to win tonight," Page said. "I'm proud of the way he's developed and where's he's come and he should feel good about his outing tonight. Obviously he's disappointed, and that's normal, because he's a great competitor."
Three errors in the inning, snowballed off a routine ground ball in the infield, scored eight runs (four unearned) and turned a 5-4 deficit into a 12-5 Red Men win.
Carthage pounded out 17 total hits, led by Will Hodges and Chris Shannon with four apiece. Owen and \#Josh Ordeneaux\# had two hits apiece for Millsaps, respectively.
Millsaps will await the winner of Wartburg and UW-Whitewater who play at 10 a.m. In order to clinch their first World Series berth in school history, the Majors must win three consecutive games, beginning with a pair on Sunday at 1 and 4 p.m.
