MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Apr. 28, 2017) – Millsaps College came back from a three-run deficit to tie the game, but Hendrix College retook the lead on a three-run home run on its way to an 8-4 win in a first round game of the 2017 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Baseball Tournament. Sophomore Jimmy Fondren (Pascagoula, Miss.) had three hits and drove in a run for the Majors.
 
No. 6 seed Millsaps (18-22) scored first in the contest when Fondren doubled with two down in the top of the second to bring in sophomore Brennan Ducote (Lafayette, La.) who had preceded Fondren with a walk. Hendrix, the tournament's No. 3 seed, came back in its half of the inning with a run that scored on a double play ball. The Warriors then went ahead in the third, loading the bases on three straight singles before a wild pitch and a sac fly to deep center allowed two runs to score. Tanner Cooper then doubled with two away to make it 4-1.
 
Millsaps battled back, getting one in the fourth on a solo home run by junior Chase Callaway (Brandon, Miss.) and then scoring two more in the fifth to tie it up at 4-all. A pair of singles and balk opened the inning, putting runners on second and third. A ground out by junior Andy Page (Warrenton, Va.) brought in the first run before junior Cavan Breland (Hoover, Ala.) lofted a sac fly to left that was deep enough to tie it up.
 
It did not stay tied long, however, as Hendrix opened its half of the fifth with a walk, a fielder's choice, and a single. Matthew Lillard then homered, putting the Warriors back on top, 7-4.
 
Trailing 8-4, Millsaps threatened in the eighth when it put two runners on with one out, but Harley Faye retired the next two hitters on a fly out and a pop-up and then set down the side in order in the ninth to wrap it up.
 
Millsaps will now move on to face No. 7 seed Oglethorpe in the double-elimination tournament tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at Stauffer Field on the campus of Rhodes College.