JACKSON – Freshman William Chenoweth pitched five shutout innings while every Major in the starting batting lineup recorded a hit as the Millsaps Majors Baseball Team dominated the University of the Ozarks on their way to an 11-3 win on a day filled with delays on Friday.
The Eagles came out in the first inning with two hits and one walk to load the bases up with one out. Chenoweth hung tough and forced a ground ball for a 4-6-3 double play to keep the game scoreless early on.
The Majors started the bottom half of the inning with senior Drew Leonard being hit by a pitch. After two walks, freshman Keith Shumaker came to the plate and hit a deep fly ball to left field to score a run and take a 1-0 lead. It was all the noise Millsaps could make as they scored a run without producing a hit.
After a three up and three down top of the second inning, the Majors got things rolling in the bottom half. Senior Andrew Evans got things started by blasting a double to right center followed by a single by freshman Samuel Doucet. Evans scored on the next batter after the Ozarks's starter Tyler Erickson attempted a pickoff move on Doucet and threw it in the outfield for an error.
Leonard then came to the plate and drove home Doucet to make it 3-0 Millsaps. As Jules Roussel came to the plate and took ball four, Leonard took off for third and the Ozarks could not throw him out as they threw it in the outfield and Leonard trotted home to make it 4-0. Junior Wes Perkins then came up and scorched a base hit up the middle to score Roussel and put the Majors in control.
After giving up two hits in the first inning, Chenoweth settled in and did not give up another hit in the next four innings he pitched.
The Majors were at it again in the bottom of the fifth as senior Drew Respess led things off with a one out single. Junior Jerrod Myers followed up with a single and both him and Respess advanced to second and third after a wild pitch.
After another error by the Ozarks caused another run to score, Roussel came through and singled home Myers to give Millsaps a 7-0 lead. Perkins topped the inning off with his second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to put the Majors up 8-0.
The Eagles did not go away though as they put three runs on the board in the top of the sixth thanks in part to two Millsaps' errors. However, freshman West Hammond settled in and got out of the inning with little damage done.
Millsaps added some insurance runs in the eighth. Shumaker and junior Stephen Gates led the inning off with back-to-back singles to give the Majors men on first and second with one out. Evans then came up and belted his second double of the night to right center, scoring one. Doucet followed with a RBI single and sophomore Andrew Rafferty came off the bench to knock a run home on a sacrifice fly to give Millsaps an 11-3 lead.
Junior Will Elmore shut the door on the Ozarks in the ninth as he struck out two to finish the game.
Chenoweth earned his first win of his young career as the Majors improve to 2-0 overall. He pitched five complete innings while only giving up two hits, walking two, and striking out four. Erickson took the loss for the Eagles.
All nine starters in the batting lineup got at least one hit for Millsaps including four Majors with multiple hits. Doucet led the way, going 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Roussel added a 2-for-3 day with one RBI while Evans and Gates each went 2-for-5 with Evans picking up two doubles and two runs scored.
The Majors are back in action on Sunday afternoon as they take on the No. 24 Piedmont Lions. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Twenty Field. The Lions will meet the Ozarks tomorrow afternoon at 2.
