BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Millsaps Majors Baseball Team knows they will be competing in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament next weekend, the question remains where will they be ranked in the Eastern Division as they traveled to Birmingham to take on the Birmingham-Southern Panthers (No. 12 ABCA/No. 15 d3baseball.com). The Majors split on Saturday afternoon with a 7-2 win followed by a 10-3 loss.
 
After two outs to start the game, junior Wes Perkins reached on an error to keep the inning alive. Freshman Keith Shumaker made the Panthers pay with a double to right center to score Perkins and make it 1-0. Millsaps was not done there as senior Ryan Zemke singled to center to score one and make it 2-0 and freshman Samuel Doucet extended the lead to 3-0 with a RBI single.
 
Birmingham-Southern responded with a two run first inning, but it was all they were going to get off junior Will Edwards, as he was terrific all afternoon. After the second run crossed the plate in the first, Edwards went on to retire 15 straight batters as he kept the Panthers in check all afternoon.
 
Millsaps struck again in the fourth, again with two outs as senior Andrew Evans was walked and junior Stephen Gates ripped a double to left to score Evans and make it a 4-2 game.
 
As Edwards kept dealing, Millsaps kept adding insurance as they picked up two more in the sixth thanks to RBIs from Evans and junior Wes Perkins and they added one more in the seventh as Zemke scored on a wild pitch.
 
Edwards goes to 8-2 on the season and gave BSC's Blake Stevens his first loss of the season (5-1). He finished his afternoon with his fourth complete game including two earned runs off two hits while striking out six on the afternoon to give the Panthers their first conference loss of the season.
 
Zemke led the offensive attack on the afternoon going 2-for-3 with a RBI. Eight of the nine Majors in the lineup had a hit on the afternoon.
 
BSC responded in Game Two as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Millsaps got one back in the second off a RBI single from senior Drew Respess and another one in the fifth off the bat of Gates as he homered for the third time this season to make it a 3-2 game.
 
However, the Panthers were able to pull away and take the 10-3 win to even the series with the rubber match coming up tomorrow.
 
Gates led the way for an offense that pounded 11 hits (outhitting BSC, 11-8), going 2-for-3 with two RBIs while Zemke was 2-for-4. Millsaps had many opportunities throughout the game, but could not find the clutch hits when needed as they left 11 runners on base on the afternoon.
 
Millsaps goes to 25-13 on the year and 9-4 in the SCAC. Millsaps either must win tomorrow or have a Rhodes loss to Sewanee to finish second overall in the Eastern Division. The rubber match is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.