CONWAY, AR- The Millsaps Majors lost a pair of tough games to the Hendrix Warriors on Saturday including a seven-inning contest that went 15.
Hendrix won the pair on Saturday 6-4 and 2-1 (15). In game one, the Majors were done in by a four-run fifth inning for the Warriors.
The Majors scored twice in the first inning in game one on Saturday. Keith Shumaker scored on an error off the bat of William Chenoweth and Stephen Gates walked with the bases loaded.
Gates then struck again in the third, driving home a run on a ground out to make it 3-0. It became 4-0 following a Andrew Rafferty single. Smokey Ethridge allowed a run in the third but had little trouble with the Warriors through the first four innings.
The junior right hander scuffled a bit in the fifth as Hendrix rapped out five hits and four runs to take a 5-4 lead. Three run-scoring singles did the damage in the inning. The Majors would load the bases in the seventh but a strike out and fielder's choice ended the threat with no runs scored.
Hendrix added insurance in the eighth and the Majors would put one on in the ninth but nothing more. Ethridge took the loss, earning a complete game over eight innings. He was charged with all six runs, walked two and struck out seven in the loss.
GAME TWO BOX
In game two, the Majors would lose a marathon that lasted eight extra innings before falling 2-1 in 15.
Keith Shumaker got the start in game two and went the first 10 innings of the contest. Shumaker needed just 126 pitches over the 10 innings, allowing one run, scattering nine hits and striking out seven.
The Majors would take the early lead in game two with Stephen Gates knocking in Samuel Doucet with an infield single.
Both teams would have their chances in game two. Shumaker and the Majors got out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth, getting a ground out to end the inning.
The Majors got Sam Doucet to third with one out, but he was cut down at the plate off an Isaac Glenn ground ball. It would be the first of four times the Majors were out at the plate on Saturday.
The Warriors forced extras in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out single off the bat of Colin Radack that scored the runner all the way from first. Neither team would do much in the eighth or the ninth. In the 10th, the Majors loaded the bases but Logan Patterson was thrown out at home trying to score on a Chenoweth fly ball.
Millsaps escaped a bases-loaded situation in the Hendrix 11th. The Warriors had runners on second and third and nobody out and the bases loaded with two out and didn't score. A ground out, strike out and fly out ended the threat.
In the 13th, Isaac Glenn singled, stole second and went to third on a balk. He was thrown out at home trying to score on a Gates' grounder.
The Warriors won it in the 15th, using a hit batter, single and walk to load the bases. After a pop out, Zane Heather hit a sac fly to right that brought home the winning run.
Zack Snider got the tough loss, falling to 1-2 on the season as the Majors fall to 12-10 overall and 3-4 in the SAA. They will send Daniel Ross to the bump on Sunday for game three of the series. First pitch is set for noon.
