JACKSON, Miss. (Mar. 31, 2017) – In the first game of a Southern Athletic Conference (SAA) baseball series, Millsaps College broke open a tight game midway through the contest to come away with a 10-1 victory against Hendrix College. Junior Cavan Breland (Hoover, Ala.) had three hits and drove in a pair of runs while junior Jacob Mardick (The Woodlands, Texas) gave up just one run over seven innings to pick up the win for the Majors.
 
Millsaps (12-15, 3-6 SAA) got on the board first in the third with an unearned run, with Mardick holding Hendrix (9-17, 3-7 SAA) off the board over the first four innings, giving up just two hits and a walk over that span. The Warriors broke through in the fifth when Jake Wiegand led off with a double and eventually scored on an RBI single by Jose Leon.
 
It did not stay tied long as Millsaps scored twice in its half of the fifth to retake the lead. With one away junior Wes Lassere (Thibodaux, La.) doubled, scoring on a double by Breland. After a walk and a double steal, Breland came in with the second run on a groundout by senior Logan Patterson (Pensacola, Fla.).
 
Millsaps then added three more in the sixth to give it a five-run cushion. Sophomore Brennan Ducote (Lafayette, La.) led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout and then scored on single by senior Lee Ogletree (Raymond, Miss.). A single and an interference call put Ogletree on third before Lassere brought him in with a sacrifice bunt. Breland then followed with an RBI single to make it 6-1.
 
That was all that the Majors would need as Mardick held Hendrix to just the one run on six hits while striking out five over seven innings. Junior Chris Guerin (Madisonville, La.) and senior Payton Willoughby (Madison, Miss.) each tossed a scoreless inning of the bullpen for Millsaps to finish things off.
 
A four-run eighth by Millsaps put the game out of reach. Lassere started things off with an RBI single before the Majors loaded the bases. Patterson and Ducote drawing a walks to bring in runs and senior Seth Trulock (Taylorville, Ill.) added an RBI single as Millsaps took a 10-1 lead.
 
Hendrix loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on a hit and a pair of walks, but Willoughby got out of the jam by getting a double-play ball to end the game.
 
Breland finished 3-for-3 on the night with two RBIs and three runs scored. Lassere, Ogletree and sophomore Connor Woodall (Madison, Miss.) all added a pair of hits for the Majors. Tanner Cooper led Hendrix with three hits, with Leon adding two more for the Warriors. Taylor Barker started and took the loss, allowing six runs, five earned on eight hits over 5.2 innings.
 
Millsaps and Hendrix will finish out the three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at Noon at Twenty Field.