HOOVER, Ala. – The Millsaps baseball team split a doubleheader with Rhodes at the Hoover Met on Monday, winning Game One, 4-3 and falling in the Game Two, 13-6. Rhodes was the designated home team in both seven inning games for the day after weather forced the series to be moved from Jackson.

GAME ONE RECAP
Graduate student Taylor Sullivan and freshman Jackson Hood combined to pitch a gem and help Millsaps come from behind late to defeat Rhodes, 4-3 in seven innings to open the day.

Sullivan started the game, yielding three runs on three hits while adding a strikeout in 4.2 innings of work. Hood was outstanding in relief, pitching the remaining 2.1 innings in scoreless fashion to earn the win. Senior Alan Merkle powered the Majors offensively scoring two runs on two hits and reached base successfully with a walk.

The Lynx were able to pounce on Sullivan early with two runs in the bottom of the first as both runners who reached base scored.

Millsaps would cut into the deficit in the third. Merkle got himself into scoring position with a double to center with two outs. He would advance to third on a passed ball, then junior Chris Hart would find a hole up the middle to plate Merkle.

Rhodes would respond in the bottom of the third to increase their lead back up to two at 3-1. Both teams would remain scoreless through the fourth and fifth.

The Majors would rally in a big way to score three runs in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Merkle began the inning with a walk to put the pressure on. The ensuing batter Hart would reach first base on a throwing error while Merkle would advance to third in the same sequence.

Sophomore Sam Pitre would score Merkle with a sacrifice fly. Hart would then swipe second with a steal. After a Case Page walk, graduate infielder Jon Dale Dieckman would plate Hart to tie the game at 3-3 with his own single up the middle. Page advanced to second.

The base thefts continued as Page put himself 90 feet from home with a swipe of third. Fritz Walker III would then strikeout for a would-be third out, but reached first on a throwing error by Rhodes catcher Chris Penna. The poor throw would score Page and give Millsaps a 4-3 lead.

Hood would shut the door on any hopes of a Rhodes comeback in the sixth and seventh by closing out the final six batters with ease.

GAME TWO RECAP
Millsaps (2-4, 2-4 SAA) fell behind early in Game Two and was unable to recover against Rhodes (3-1, 3-1 SAA), falling 13-6 in seven innings.

The Majors used six pitchers in the shortened game and were struck out 10 times. Mason Little, Dieckman and Walker III all had two RBIs for Millsaps.

Rhodes built an impossible 7-0 lead through two innings. The Majors would answer with four runs of their own in the top of the third.

Millsaps would load the bases with nobody out to begin the frame. Little would plate his first RBI to put the Majors on the scoreboard. A wild pitch then scored Hart, and Dieckman would double down the left field line to score a pair of teammates, cutting the deficit to 7-4.

The Lynx would retaliate, however, with six runs over the next three innings to push their advantage back up to 13-4.

Sophomore Joshua Laurent would add an RBI double and Little would tack on an RBI single for the Majors in the sixth.


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