JACKSON – After the Millsaps Majors Baseball Team and Rhodes Lynx played to a split on Saturday, the two teams returned to Twenty Field on Sunday afternoon for a critical rubber match as Millsaps looked to wrap up the No. 2 seed and Rhodes looked to stay alive for the No. 2 seed. In a wild contest that saw 27 totals hits and 26 total runs, the Lynx escaped Jackson with a 14-12 win.
 
The Majors got off to a tremendous start as junior Stephen Gates led the game off with a double followed by a single by senior Drew Leonard. That brought the hot hitting Wes Perkins to the plate who continued his tear with a three run shot to give Millsaps the early lead.
 
However, Rhodes got three in the third to tie it. Millsaps got the run back after a RBI from freshman Samuel Doucet, but the Lynx added three in the fourth and three more in the fifth to take a 9-4 lead.
 
Millsaps did not go down quietly as senior Drew Respess led the sixth inning off with a walk and Gates tripled down the right field line to make it a 9-5 game. After a walk to Leonard, Perkins came through again with a RBI single and Zemke followed with a double down the left field line to make it a 9-7 game.
 
The Majors got more in the seventh as a run scored due to an error followed by a double steal executed by Gates and Respess to tie the game at nine.
 
The momentum didn't stop there as Millsaps took it into the eighth as Zemke led the inning off with a hit by pitch. Senior Jules Roussel placed a sac bunt that brought him to second and Doucet hit a fly ball to put him on third. Sophomore Kevin Wall came through with a single and advanced to second on an error to give Millspas a 10-9 lead. Respess followed him up with a double to make it 11-9.
 
Rhodes battled back with five in the ninth though thanks in part to a three run home run to go up 14-11. The Majors got on back in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a RBI from Zemke, but it was not enough as Rhodes took the rubber series, 14-12.

Perkins finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run. Gates added a 3-for-6 day with a RBI and two runs scored while Zemke was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Freshman Keith Shumaker took the loss for Millsaps.
 
Millsaps drops to 23-12 overall and 8-3 in the SCAC after the loss. They remain No. 2 in the Eastern Division, but must pick up two out of three over Birmingham-Southern next weekend or a Rhodes loss to Sewanee to clinch the No. 2 seed in the SCAC Tournament.
 
The Majors are back in action on Tuesday as they play in the final game of the Maloney Series against Belhaven University. If the Majors can pick up a win, they will claim the Maloney Series for the fifth time in school history. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Smith Wills Park on Lakeland Drive.