JACKSON, Miss. -- On Friday afternoon, the Millsaps College baseball team began the final weekend of the 2019 season by hosting the Stormy Petrels of Oglethorpe University.

The game was back and forth for most of the evening with the Majors taking a slim lead into the 9th inning. Unfortunately Oglethorpe was able to make the comeback and take game one of the series by a score of 10-9.

With the win the Stormy Petrels improve to 11-27 overall. They are 7-12 in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA). The loss drops the Majors to 8-30 on the year and 2-16 in conference play. 
 
How It Happened
Oglethorpe got on the scoreboard first with a run in the first. They added another run in the top of the second to move ahead 2-0. 

In the bottom of the second inning the Majors answered with three runs on just one hit and one Stormy Petrel error to take a 3-2 lead. Three walks aided Millsaps in the inning, one coming with the bases loaded. Brennan Ducote also had a RBI single. 

Millsaps appeared to open things up in the third inning when they scored a pair of runs, again on just one hit, to increase their lead to 5-2. Mason Little scored when Oglethorpe made an error on a bunt single by Jimmy Fondren. Nathan Chilton also added a RBI groundout in the inning for the Majors. 

The two teams traded runs in the fourth inning to make it a 6-3 game, but the Stormy Petrels began to take control in the middle innings. 

Oglethorpe scored three runs in the fifth to tie things up. They then took the lead on a RBI groundout in the sixth which made it 7-6. 

Down to their last six outs, the Millsaps offense went to work in the eighth. 

Keaton Page walked to lead off the inning. After a Will Neely sacrifice bunt moved him into scoring position he was doubled home by Jimmy Johnstone to tie things up at 7-7. Johnstone later scored on a wild pitch to give the Majors the 8-7 lead. 

Unfortunately the Stormy Petrels answered back with three runs in the top of the ninth. Millsaps scored a run on a Johnstone groundout in the bottom half, but Oglethorpe was able to strand the tying run at third base to hold on for the 10-9 lead.

Key Contributors
Johnstone led the offense with three RBIs, while Ducote was the only Major with multiple hits. He was also intentionally walked twice.

Taylor Sullivan pitched 3.1 solid innings of relief, and looked to be in line for the win before the late Oglethorpe comeback. His final line showed just two hits and one earned run allowed. 
 
What's Next?
The two teams will return to Twenty Field tomorrow afternoon to conclude the series with a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m.