CONWAY, AR- The Millsaps Majors scored six in the first inning en route to a 9-1 run-rule victory over the Centre Colonels in the opening round of the SAA tournament. 

Katie Birdwell (pictured) threw a complete game four hitter for the Majors, who advance in the winner's bracket of the tournament. The senior struck out four and allowed just the one earned run and improved to 7-3 on the season. 

The Majors got things rolling early, stringing together five hits en route to a six-run first inning. The big blow of the inning was a two-run triple by Savannah Havard that scored both Caroline Thompson and Abbie Joiner. Rayne Gravat, Hannah Doggett and Casey Brown all had run-scoring hits in the frame as well. 

Birdwell kept the momentum on the Majors side, sending Centre down quietly in the second, third and fourth. The Colonels got their lone run in the fifth on a run-scoring single from Allison Matheny. 

The Majors ended the game early in the sixth with the final three runs of the game. Millsaps loaded the bases with the first three batters of the inning and a run-scoring single from Savannah Havard set up Tiffany Havard to end the game with a two-run single of her own. 

The win moves the Majors to 24-11 overall on the season. They will play the winner of Birmingham-Southern and Sewanee tonight around 6pm (depending on the length of two previous games).