MILLINGTON, Tenn. – The Millsaps baseball team opened the 2011 SCAC Baseball Tournament with a 7-2 loss to the DePauw University Tigers after giving up six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Jules Roussel got the Majors going in the top of the first with a one-out single up the middle, but he could not advance as a strikeout and grounder to second ended the inning scoreless.
Jason Riggins got the first Tiger swinging but Zach Galyean drove the ball down the left field line to get into scoring position and moved 90 feet closer with a wild pitch on the next delivery. Riggins settled down from there and got the next two DePauw batters in order to end the Tiger threat.
Josh Ordeneaux got the Majors' second hit in the same situation and fashion as Roussel's first, with a line up the middle with one away. Once again, the Majors left the runner stranded. Riggins continued to pitch well, getting the Tigers in order in the bottom half of the inning to keep the game scoreless into the third.
Jeremy Aliff took advantage of the game's first error extending a routine ground ball to third into a standing double to get in scoring position for Jules Roussel. Jules moved Aliff over to third with a hard-hit ball to the second baseman for the second out. The Majors could hardly ask for a better batter to come to the plate with a man on third, but Will Hawkins fouled back his first pitch from Hobbs Donovan. The extended foul territory at USA Stadium allowed the catcher to make the grab on a ball that would normally have found the stands in most SCAC parks to end the inning.
Riggins continued to get outs to put the Majors back at the plate quickly. The Tigers grounded out and flew out for the first two outs of the third inning on just two pitches before Riggins got Ben Garder to strike out swinging to hang another zero on the scoreboard.
The Majors' offense stranded another runner in the top of the fourth after a leadoff walk to Jake Mills. The Tigers managed to get the second and third outs in order after Stephen Gates laid down a perfect sac bunt to move Mills into scoring position.
The Tigers threatened again in the fourth, with runners on first and second following a hit batsman and a single, but with two outs Riggins was able to get out of the jam by getting Robbie Stein to fly out to left.
Drew Leonard got a one-out hit past the Tiger third baseman to get the Majors another runner in the top of the fifth. He advanced to second on a botched pickoff attempt as the first baseman was unable to come up with the throw from Donovan to put Leonard on second. A walk to Aliff put runners on first and second for Roussel. The Majors executed the double steal on a ball in the dirt to advance to second and third. Roussel came through with a full-count single over the second baseman to plate both Leonard and Aliff. The Tigers got the next two outs, but the damage had been done, with the Majors owning a two-run lead going into the bottom of the fifth.
With one out in the inning, the Tigers got one run back with a solo shot from Zach Galyean. Jason Cohen was hit by a pitch to reach first with two away and advanced to second off an Alex Wright single to right. With the tying run on first Coach Cody McCain called a meeting on the hill to try and calm the Major defense down to close out the inning. Riggins got Robbie Stein to pop out to center to end the inning and strand the runners, holding the 2-1 lead after six.
Donovan continued to throw for the Tigers, getting the Majors to go down in order on four-straight pitches to put the Millsaps defense back in the field quickly. Aaron Henry hit a rope up the middle that deflected off the glove of Riggins for another one-out single in the Tiger's half of the seventh. Alex Berlyn went down swinging for the second out. Ben Gardner got the second Tiger hit of the inning with a line drive over the head of Kevin Wall to put runners at first and second with two outs. The 1-0 pitch to Galyean found the dirt in front of Wes Perkins, but the Majors' catcher found the ball quickly and gunned down Gardner at second to end the inning and preserve the Millsaps' lead.
Jules Roussel led the inning with a hard-hit line drive off the glove of the Tiger hurler that ricocheted to the second baseman for an infield hit to start the eighth. However, Donovan got Will Hawkins to ground to the shortstop for the classic 6-4-3 double play to stifle the rally. Jake Mills pushed the count to full with two outs and managed a single into right to keep the inning going for the Majors, but Stephen Gates flied out to center in the next spot to end the inning.
DePauw took advantage of the Majors' first error of the game to start the bottom of the eighth as Zach Galyean reached on a routine grounder to short off a high throw. Rob McPike laid down a clean bunt to move him into scoring position for Jason Cohen with one out. The sophomore found the gap between first and second to tie the game at two. A stolen base by pinch runner Sam Yeary gave the Tigers another runner in scoring position, still with one out. Alex Wright pushed to a full count and made the Majors pay scorching a single into left that scored the go-ahead run from second, chasing the Millsaps starter from the game.
John Marshall Pemberton came in to finish the inning for Riggins. The Tigers continued to play small-ball getting runners moving on swinging bunts and stolen bases to chip away at the Major defense. Sam Swafford loaded the bases with a single into shallow left. Will Hawkins got the second out with a force at the plate after Aaron Henry hit a blooper back to the Major third baseman. Zach Starr came in to pinch hit for the Tigers. John Marshall went to a full count with the freshman and missed low on ball four to walk in the third run of the inning. Ben Gardner got a piece of strike three to stay alive and worked the count to full again and drew another walk to put DePauw on top 5-2. Galyean came back around and drove in two more with a single to left that closed the book on Pemberton. Jake Mills got Rob McPike to pop up in the infield to end the inning, but the Tigers took the 7-2 lead into the final inning.
Josh Ordeneaux led the ninth with a line drive to the shortstop for the first out. Ryan Zemke pinch hit in the two spot and grounded to short as well for the second out. Trey Rountree came in for his first at bat and reached on an error to the second baseman, bringing up Drew Leonard. The junior shortstop hit a line drive at the Trinity center fielder to end the game, 7-2
Donovan took the complete-game win for DePauw while Jason Riggins got the loss for the Majors. Millsaps now moves into the losers' bracket and will take on Hendrix College tomorrow at noon. The winner will advance the loser will be eliminated from the tournament.
