JACKSON – Emily Spicer's first career home run came in walk-off fashion and helped the Millsaps College softball team in claiming three of four games against visiting Austin College over the weekend to remain in first place in the SCAC West Division with the playoffs looming.
Facing the 'Roos in the series-opener Saturday afternoon, the Majors built an early 5-0 lead coming off a solo home run by \#LeAnn Williams\# in the first, a sacrifice fly by \#Laura Litton\# in the second and a two-run double by \#Megan Yglesias\# in the third.
Austin College's comeback efforts fell just short as it scored two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh but starter \#Kasey Thibodeaux\# held off the rally to pick-up the complete game victory, 5-4.
The 'Roos earned the Saturday split with a 7-4 win in game two of the doubleheader.
Millsaps held a 4-1 lead through four innings thanks to Williams' second home run of the day and an RBI groundout by \#Josie Matthews\#.
The lead would not last long as AC got four runs off starter \#Brittney McAllister\# in the fifth before adding two insurance runs in the seventh.
The Majors committed five errors in the game leading to four 'Roos runs.
Finishing the weekend series on Sunday afternoon, Millsaps came back from a six-run deficit to claim a 7-6 win in game one.
After AC scored five runs off Thibodeaux in the fourth for a 6-0 lead, the Majors answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to get back into the game, down 6-3.
A two-run home run by Matthews in the fifth evened the score 6-6 and \#Emily Spicer\# picked a perfect opportunity to hit her first career home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Spicer stepped up to the plate and sent the first pitch offered over the fence in left field to cap the come-from-behind victory 7-6 with a walk-off home run.
In the weekend-finale, the Majors found themselves behind 3-1 in the fourth inning before exploding for four runs in the bottom of the fourth and five more in the fifth for a 10-5 victory.
Millsaps got on the scoreboard first when \#Jennifer McKinley\# hit an RBI single but the 'Roos quickly tied the score in the second off Thibodeaux and took a 3-1 lead in the third with two runs.
In the fourth, the Majors regained a 5-3 advantage behind four runs highlighted by a pair of two-run doubles by Matthews and \#Amanda Berry\#.
A piece of history was also made in the fourth inning as McKinley became the all-time hits leader in Millsaps history with a single for hit number 174 of her illustrious career, passing Christina Sharp's mark of 173.
In the fifth inning, the Majors again made history as Spicer, Williams and McKinley hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in a five-run inning for a 10-3 lead to break the game wide open.
This feat had never been accomplished before in the program's 11-year history.
McKinley's solo blast also tied Robin Rockco's single-season record for home runs in Millsaps softball history.
AC scored two runs in the top of the seventh but it was not enough as the Majors recorded the 10-5 win to remain atop the SCAC West Division with only one conference series remaining.
As a team, Millsaps recorded a .361 batting average in the four games led by McKinley who finished 8-for-13 (.615), Williams who went 8-for-15 from the plate (.533) with three home runs and Spicer who tallied nine hits, including her first two career home runs for a .529 batting average.
With the three victories over the weekend, the Majors clinched a spot in the SCAC Playoffs slated for April 23-25.
Millsaps, now 16-14 overall and 9-3 in the SCAC, will return to the field on Tuesday for a doubleheader at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala. First-pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
