JACKSON, Miss. - The Millsaps softball team scored seven runs in the fifth inning today against Huntingdon, but couldn't hold on in the ninth, falling 13-9.
The Hawks scored first, getting two runs in the top of the first. The Majors got on the board in the second inning thanks to Lindsay Drane single to right that drove in Katie Birdwell, cutting the lead in half, 2-1.
Huntingdon broke the game open in the third, however, with a grand slam from Holly Ostrander that put the Hawks back in control, 6-1. They got three more in the fourth and it looked like the Majors were heading for another five inning loss thanks to the ten run rule, but that all changed in the bottom of the fifth.
The Majors prevented the Hawks from ever taking the ten-run lead that could have sent everyone home early, and then they posted seven runs in the fifth to come storming back into the game.
Allison Tarbox drove in the first run on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to plate Jade Hewitt. Sam Wursteisen singled to center to drive in Allyson Christian to cut the lead down to 9-3.
The Hawks walked in the fourth Majors' run, keeping the bases loaded for Lindsay Drane. She cleared the bases with a double to left that put the Majors within reach at 9-7 and Emily Spicer sent her home with a single to right to pull Millsaps to within one, 9-8, before the Hawks could get out of the inning.
Allison Tarbox tied the game in the eighth with a solo shot to left center, but the Majors left two stranded in the innning with the score knotted at nine. Huntingdon reasserted themselves in the seventh scoring four runs that the Majors could not answer in the home half to set the final at 13-9.
It was the fourth loss in two days for Millsaps, who fell to the defending national champion East Texas Baptist Tigers 15-0 in the first of today's two games.
The Majors will host Birmingham-Southern for a conference double header on Wednesday before heading down to Sherman for a weekend series with Austin College for the opening week of confernce play. First pitch with the Panthers is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Millsaps Field.
