JACKSON – The Millsaps Majors Baseball Team was back in action on Saturday as they continued their three game Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series with the Sewanee Tigers. The Major bats remained hot for the weekend as they completed the three game sweep over the Tigers at Twenty Field to improve to 7-1 in the SCAC.
Sewanee struck first in Game One after a passed ball put them on top 1-0. Millsaps responded in the bottom half of the first after senior Drew Leonard was hit by pitch and move to third off a failed pickoff attempt by the Tigers. Junior Wes Perkins scorched a double to right to bring home Leonard and tie the game at one.
The Tigers retook the lead in the third as after a double scored a run with two outs to make it a 2-1 game, but again the Majors responded in the bottom half of the inning and took the lead for good. Freshman Ketih Shumaker led the inning off with a single and moved to second after a walk was issued to senior Ryan Zemke. Senior Jules Roussel singled to right to score one followed by a fly ball to left by sophomore Kevin Wall to score Zemke and give Millsaps a 3-2 lead.
Both teams could not do anything in the fourth as sophomore Zander Romano pitched extremely well for the Majors. Millsaps then put some distance between themselves and Sewanee in the fifth as Perkins led the inning off with a single, after a short ground ball moved him over, Zemke singled up the middle to score Perkins and extend the Majors lead. Roussel then walked and Wall was hit by a pitch to bring up senior Andrew Evans, who tripled down the right field line to clear the bases and make it 7-2. After scoring on a wild pitch, junior Stephen Gates connected with a homerun, his third of the season, to make it a 9-2 game.
Millsaps added five more in the sixth including a two RBI double by Evans and RBIs from Leonard, senior Jordan Nolan, and senior Drew Respess to cruise to 14-2.
Romano was terrific as he improved to 4-2 on the season, pitching a complete game while giving up one earned run off three hits with five strikeouts on the afternoon.
Evans had a career day as the plate, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs including a double and a triple and adding two runs scored. Both Roussel and Perkins also added two hit games including a RBI for both.
The Tigers again went up 1-0 to start Game Two as they got a sacrifice fly in the inning, but the Majors came back with two in the first thanks to a RBI from Perkins and Shurmaker.
After Shumaker reached on a single and Zemke and Roussel reached on walks, Wall came through with a huge single to left field to score two runs and improve the Majors lead to 4-1.
Sewanee did not go away as they got one in the fourth and four in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead and then sat the Majors down in order in the bottom of the fifth.
However, Millsaps would not be denied much longer as Evans led the sixth inning off by reaching on an error. After a sacrifice bunt by Gates, Leonard then doubled to left to make it a one run game. Perkins then came to the plate and gave Millsaps the lead with a towering two run home run over the left field wall to make it 7-6 Millsaps.
The Majors added more in the seventh. With the bases loaded, Gates reached on a fielder's choice to drive in a run and make it 8-6. Leonard followed him up with a RBI triple to right center and Perkins then came through with a double to left to extend the Majors lead to 11-6.
It was all they needed as they completed the sweep of the Tigers. Freshman West Hammond got the start, but left the game after three innings of work while allowing one earned run off two hits and striking out three.
Freshman Samuel Doucet, who coming into the game had a 1.73 ERA, relieved Hammond and pitched through a tough fifth inning to go on and finish the game and struck out seven in the process to pick up his first career win as a Major (1-1 on the season).
Offensively, Perkins continues what has been a terrific offensive season with a 3-for-5 day including four RBIs. Leonard was great as well, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Shumaker and Gates also had three hit games as well as a RBI each as the Majors pounded 16 hits.
The Majors picked up their 20th win of the season in Game One and now sit 21-10 on the season and 7-1 in conference as they trail BSC by 1.5 games. Millsaps is back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Clinton to take on the Mississippi College Choctaws as the Maloney Series remains neck and neck with all three teams tied at 2-2. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
