MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Mar. 19, 2017) – Rhodes College received a strong pitching performance from Jack Mercer that saw him limit Millsaps College to just one run in a 6-1 win for the Lynx in a Southern Athletic Association (SAA) baseball game this afternoon. Rhodes broke open a close game in the bottom of the eighth with four runs to take control of the contest.
 
Mercer was in command all the way for Rhodes (10-11, 4-2 SAA), allowing just three hits in his complete game effort while striking out five against one walk. He retired the side in order seven times and did not allow a hit until the eighth inning when the Majors scored their one run.
 
Junior Chase Callaway (Brandon, Miss.) led off the eighth with a single to left that broke up the no-hit bid. With one down juniors Wes Lassere (Thibodaux, La.) and Jacob Mardick (The Woodlands, Texas) both singled through the left side to load the bases. Mercer got out of the jam, however, allowing the run on a groundout by freshman Jon Dale Dieckman (Madison, Miss.) before getting the final out on a fly to right.
 
Sophomore Hayden Williams (Mobile, Ala.) started for Millsaps, matching Mercer over the first four innings by blanking the Lynx on four hits. In the fifth Rhodes broke through to score its first run, getting a runner to third with one away that scored on a sac fly by Nick Bosma. The Lynx then added another run in the seventh, taking advantage of a leadoff walk by Paul Giacomazzi. He moved to second on a sacrifice, then to third on a groundout before scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Leading just 2-1, Rhodes broke through against the Millsaps bullpen for four runs in the eighth. The Lynx loaded the bases on a pair of walks, one intentional, and a hit batter for pinch hitter Bill Munson. He came through with a two-run single to left to make it 4-1. Rhodes then added two more insurance runs on an RBI double by Giacomazzi and a wild pitch.
 
Mercer then closed it out in the ninth, retiring the side in order to improve to 3-2 on the season.
 
Next up for Millsaps will be the third game of the season against Belhaven University. The Majors and Warriors will square off on Tuesday evening, starting at 6:00 p.m. at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson.