JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps Majors had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth but could not complete the come-from-behind win tonight against the Panthers.
The Majors (21-12) had no trouble getting hits with 11 on the night, but they could never seem to get enough with runners in scoring position. Millsaps stranded 12 runners on the night. For their part, the Panthers (24-5) did not fare much better, leaving 10 on the paths, but they were able to come away with a 5-4 road victory against the Majors.
Millsaps got things going in the first inning thanks to a two-run blast that sailed over the right field wall by Jake Mills. Jeremy Aliff walked in the leadoff spot to get on for Mills who got the homer with two outs in the inning.
BSC answered in the top of the second to take the lead 3-2. The first two runs scored thanks to a throwing error on Drew Leonard with one out. Will Elmore got John Lawroski to ground out to second for the second out, but Jon Walker took advantage of the extra out to drive in the third run, all unearned, before Elmore could get out of the inning.
The Majors got the evener in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Aliff that brought in Kevin Wall from third. Wall had reached on a single up the middle and was moved to third by Drew Leonard's double down the left field line. Leonard was left sitting at third, however, after Jules Roussel popped out to short to end the inning tied at three.
'Southern regained the lead with a run in the seventh off a Drew Leachman single and added another in the top of the ninth on a throwing error that should have ended the inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Brandon Ricco hit a blooper in front of the plate which was cleanly fielded by Wes Perkins. The Majors' catcher stepped on home to get the lead runner, but in his excitement, overthrew Mills at first allowing the inning to continue and a run to score to put BSC up 5-3. Fortunately, the ball went into the tarp along the first-base fence to keep the damage to just a single run.
Will Hawkins led the bottom of the ninth with a double deep into right center. He then advanced to third thanks to a throwing error by the Panther shortstop that also put Jake Mills on first. A second throwing error, this time by the pitcher, allowed Hawkins to put the Majors within one, 5-4, and sent Ryan Zemke to second after pinch running for Mills.
Josh Ordeneaux walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Trey Rountree moved everyone up a bag with a perfectly executed sac bunt. Drew Respess came in to hit for Wes Perkins and struck out for the second out of the inning and then a running miscue caught Ordeneaux off second. With two outs, they had no choice but to try to force the run in before the final out could be tagged so a three-way pickle ensued finally resulting in Zemke bowling over Bruce Maxwell at the plate for the final out.
Josh Conlee (2-2) took the loss for the Majors, giving up one run in five innings of work. He struck out three and walked two in 21 batters-faced. Richard Vance (3-0) got the win for the Panthers while Clay Jones got credit for his sixth save of the year.
The Majors will return to Twenty Field this weekend for a critical three-game series with the division-leading Trinity Tigers. Game one of the opening double header is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday with game three to follow at noon on Sunday.
