CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—Saturday was almost one of those days players tell their kids about years down the road.
Facing elimination and facing a Centre team that had beaten the Majors three times this season, Millsaps rallied to knock out the Colonels 6-3 in eight innings. Then, in the late game, the Majors held a slim 4-3 lead until a one-out two-run homerun from Rhodes dashed the Majors dreams of yet another upset and, in the process, ended Millsaps' season.
Game One
Millsaps got the scoring started early in game one. Singles from
Kendall Carder and
Ty Bergeron put runners on first and second before Carder scored on an RBI single from
Lindsey Osbon. Centre answered with two of their own in the bottom of the first with a two-run homerun off Majors starter
Karley Williams.
Millsaps would tie the game in the top of the fourth, using good fundamental softball. After
Karlie Galloway walked, she was pinch run for by
Katelyn Norse, who advanced to second on a sac bunt. She then scored on
Jordan Lipari's RBI double.
Both teams put up zeroes until the seventh, when Carder singled and scored on Bergeron's double, giving the Majors a 3-2 lead. But Centre would answer in the bottom half, sending the game to extras.
In the eighth, Carder picked up her third hit of the game, an RBI double that scored
Mackenzie Johnson. Bergeron followed that up with a two-run homerun.
Amber Funderburk shut Centre down in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the win.
Carder and Bergeron each had three hits while Carder scored three runs and Bergeron had three RBIs.
Game Two
Rhodes put a run on the board in the first inning off starter
Shauna Blady but the Majors responded in the second, taking a 4-1 lead. With the bases loaded, Lipari doubled in a pair of runs as did Carder in the next at bat. Unfortunately, Millsaps would be kept of the board for the rest of the game.
Rhodes added a pair of runs in the middle innings, but couldn't take the lead until the go-ahead homerun in the seventh.
Millsaps was led in game two by Lipari, who had four hits and two RBIs. Carder had two hits and a pair of RBIs.
The loss ends the Majors season at 14-29. With no seniors on this year's squad, the outlook is very positive for the 2020 season.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the softball program this year follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
