JACKSON- The Majors dropped a wild one on Sunday, falling 13-10 to the Trinity (Tx) Tigers in 11 innings at Twenty Field.
The two nationally ranked teams combined for 23 runs and 35 hits on Sunday with Stephen Gates leading the Majors attack with three hits and four runs driven in.
The squads wasted no time getting on the board Sunday, with each team striking in the first inning. Trinity put the first two runners on against Daniel Ross, and scored twice on a sacrifice fly and run scoring ground out. Adam Daniel got the Majors on the scoreboard with a two-out single that scored Keith Shumaker, Trinity led 2-1 after one.
After the Sunday starters settled down, the game would remain 2-1 into the fourth inning. The Major loaded the bases on a walk, single and catcher's interference to bring up Stephen Gates. The senior delivered a bases-clearing double and came into score on an Isaac Glenn single. The Majors crooked number gave Millsaps a 5-2 lead after four.
Trinity would tie the game an inning later, scoring three times. Highlighting the frame was a solo homer off the bat of catcher Chris Bianchi. The Majors would take the lead back in the home half of the fifth. With runners on the corners, Millsaps enacted the double steal. While Blake Littlejohn was caught stealing second, he enabled Samuel Doucet to come in from third to give Millsaps a 6-5 lead.
The lead would grow to 9-5 in the seventh. An Annon Etheridge ground out scored Doucet and Stephen Gates followed with his second run scoring double of the game, scoring Andrew Rafferty. Glenn would single home Gates for the second time as the Majors hung a three-spot up in the inning.
Trinity would patch together three hits in the eighth leading to a run scoring ground out and single to plate a pair of runs. Heading into the home half of the eighth, it was 9-7 Millsaps. Adam Daniel was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a fly out and to third on a ground out. Blake Littlejohn had a clutch two-out single that plated the freshman and gave the Majors a three run lead heading into the ninth.
After getting the first out in the ninth, three straight Tigers reached to load the bases. Back-to-back singles made it a 10-9 ball game and a sacrifice fly tied the game one batter later. The Majors would go in order in the home half of the ninth and we headed for bonus baseball.
Neither team did anything in the 10th with a Sam Doucet walk erased on a double play. In the 11th, Trinity plated three runs, all with two outs. A key error by the Majors opened the door to a single, double and wild pitch that amounted to three unearned runs. The Majors went in order in the 11th and Trinity won the rubber match of the three-game series.
Matt Lipman took the tough luck loss as he was charged with the three unearned runs in the 11th and falls to 0-1. Kevin Flores got the win in relief, getting the final five outs on the day. Each starter got a no decision after each went the first five innings and allowed five runs.
The Majors fell to 4-2 on the season with Trinity moving to 5-1. Millsaps heads to Montgomery on Tuesday for a non-conference match with the Huntingdon Hawks. First pitch is set for 4pm.