JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps baseball team triumphed in a pair of games over Westminster College at Twenty Field on Friday. Quality pitching was key in a 6-1 opening win and this was followed with a 5-4 comeback victory in the 11th of Game Two.

Game 1 – Millsaps 6, Westminster 1

Sophomore ace pitcher Wil Wood (7.0 IP) was nearly unhittable in Game One with a career-high nine strikeouts, while allowing four hits, one run and one walk.

Senior Avery Brock tagged a three-run homer over the left field wall, while going 2-for-2 at the dish. Classmate Mark Petkovsek Jr. finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and run scored. Freshmen and D3baseball.com Team of the Week honoree Bradley Pelle recorded a hit and RBI.

The weather was cold and it took a while for the bats to warm up early as both teams combined for one hit in the first three innings.

Millsaps struck first on the scoreboard when a sac fly by Petkovsek scored Little to make it a 1-0 game in the fourth. Millsaps then extended their advantage to 2-0 when a two-out error by Westminster allowed Brock to round the bases from second.

The Blue Jays cut Millsaps' lead in half at 2-1 in the top of the sixth with a single, steal and RBI up the middle. Limiting further damage, catcher Sam Suggs fielded a short infield hit and tossed the ball to Brock on first who made an outstanding stretching catch.

In the top of the eighth inning with two outs and a man on threatening to score on third, relief pitcher Ryan Erwin (2.0 IP) showed major moxie as he struck out the batter to end the inning. Erwin finished the game with three strikeouts against two hits.

Brock continued his great game with a 320-foot, three-run homer to extend the lead to 5-1. Pelle would then cap off the big inning with an RBI single to score Petkovsek leading to a 6-1 advantage entering the final inning.

Erwin and the Majors' defense would hold steady and preserve the 6-1 victory in the opener.


Game 2 – Millsaps 5, Westminster 4 (11 innings)

Sophomore starting pitcher Chambers McGilberry tossed a career-high 103 pitches in nine innings, while sophomore relief pitcher Graham Harrison earned his first win of the season as the Majors battled from an early deficit.

Little (three hits, two RBIs), Dylan McFarland (two hits) and Petkovsek (two hits) all posted multi-hit days in Game Two.

Millsaps got off to a rocky start defensively when Westminster rattled off four hits in a row that resulted in one run with only one out and the bases loaded. The Blue Jays scored once again on a sac fly, but the Majors caught a runner in limbo with a beautiful 8-3-4 double play to end the top of the first inning.

Scoring once in the second and fifth innings, Westminster would take a 4-0 advantage into the bottom of the fifth. Trying to edge closer into the game, Case Page was able to squeeze an outfield hit in between the Blue Jays' second baseman and right fielder that scored Little from second to put the Majors on the scoreboard.

With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Brock brought home McFarland with a sac fly. Little would then hit a hard ground ball towards the short stop that would rattle off his glove and help Sam Pitre score to make it a 4-3 game going into the seventh.

Finding a rhythm defensively, the Majors held Westminster to a scoreless inning when McGilberry struck out the batter and Arceneaux caught a runner trying to steal second to send the game into the bottom of the seventh.

The Majors finally drew even at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Little singled to the right side to score Petkovsek with two outs.

After holding the visitors at bay in the top of the ninth, the Majors had a chance to end the game on a walk-off. Jackson Ware almost sent the entire stadium into a frenzy when a deep fly ball to left field went just foul. Ultimately, the Majors would not score to send the game into extra innings.

Allowing no runs, Harrison pitched a beautiful inning. With two outs and a man in scoring position, Brock sent a dinger towards the warning track but the ball would fall to the outfielder's glove to send the game into the 11th inning.

After getting through the top of the 11th inning without yielding a run, Hart broke the heart of the Blue Jays with a line drive down the left line to score Josh Laurent with the bases loaded and two outs to obtain the 5-4 win and sweep the day.

Millsaps will face the University of Dallas on Saturday, beginning at 3:30 p.m. with live stats and video links available on the baseball schedule page at gomajors.com.


To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps baseball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.