JACKSON – The Millsaps Majors Baseball Team opened 2012 up on Tuesday with a thrilling come-from-behind win over cross town rival Belhaven to take a 1-0 lead in the Maloney Series and earn their first win of the season. Senior Andrew Evans bases loaded, two RBI based hit with two outs in the ninth gave Millsaps the 8-7 win.
Junior Will Edwards got his first start in a Major uniform as he started the game with a strikeout in the top of the first. After a base hit by senior Tyler Wrinkle, Edwards forced the next hitter into a double play to end the inning.
Neither team could get anything going through the next four innings as Edwards and Belhaven starter Jonathan Thompson did not give up a hit. Freshman William Chenoweth replaced Edwards in the top of the fourth and put the Blazers down in order while only throwing seven pitches. Junior Will Elmore replaced Chenoweth the following inning.
The Majors led off the bottom of the fourth with two base hits from junior Wes Perkins and freshman Keith Shumaker before a 1-5-3 double play ended the rally for Millsaps right away.
Belhaven started the fifth off with a double by Bud Britt followed by two walks to load the bases up. Freshman Samuel Doucet entered the game on the mound, but the Blazers came through thanks to an error and two singles to take a 3-0 lead. Doucet did a great job of getting out of the inning and limiting the damage.
After both teams went down with nothing to show for, Millsaps entered the bottom of the sixth looking to get on the scoreboard.
After a quick strike out, senior Jules Roussel got the inning going with a rip down the right field line for a double. Another out came, but then Shumaker then came up and walked, but the fourth ball was low and in the dirt and Roussel swiped third to bring up senior Andrew Evans.
Evans came through with a single right up the middle to cut the deficit to two. Elmore then came up and walked to load the bases up for junior Stephen Gates.
Gates came through, as he did so many times a season ago, with a base hit up the middle to score two and tie the game.
Belhaven took the lead right back in the top of the seventh thanks to a RBI single from Wrinkle.
After quick three up and three downs, the Majors came up in the bottom of the eighth looking to tie. Shumaker got things started with one out as he scorched a double down the left field line. Senior Jordan Nolan came in to pinch run for him and stole third to get into scoring position.
Evans came up again in a key situation and put the ball in play to get his second RBI of the game and tie it at four.
In the ninth, a three-run home run by Belhaven's Anthony Doss appeared to give the Blazers the sure win as they went up 7-4.
However, Millsaps was not going down easily as they ninth started. After Gates flied out to start the inning, Doucet came to the plate and hammered a double to left center. Junior Jerrod Myers came to plate and singled to left to move runners to first and third. Senior Drew Leonard then came to the plate and found a spot in right field for a single to drive a run in and cut the lead down to two.
Roussel then came to the plate and was hit by the pitch to load the bases up with one out. That brought up Perkins and after a passed ball scored Myers; he was intentionally walked to load the bases up with Millsaps down 7-6 with one out and the bases loaded.
After a strike out, Evans came to play and hit a liner up the middle, Belhaven's Jason Hicks made an incredible diving spot, but could not get an out. Meanwhile, Roussel had not slowed up from second and turned the corner for home. Hicks throw would not be in time as the Majors got the huge win.
Evans finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBIs in the game while Gates added a 1-for-3 day with two RBIs. Shumaker also went 2-for-2 with a run scored in his first career start.
The Majors used eight pitchers on the day as junior Alex Granier earned the win for Millsaps to go to 1-0 on the season. Josh Clarke took the loss for the Blazers. Edwards led the way for Millsaps with three strikeouts while Shumaker, freshman West Hammond, and sophomore Zander Romano all added one.
With the win, Millsaps improves to 1-0 on the new campaign. They return to action this weekend, as they will host the Ozarks and Piedmont. The Majors will take on the Eagles of Ozarks at 2 p.m. on Friday.
