JACKSON, Miss. – Millsaps baseball freshman pitcher
Nick Tarantino shutdown Rhodes as the Majors claimed the SAA series with an 8-4 win at Twenty Field on Sunday.
Tarantino struck out five batters, gave up zero runs and surrendered three hits and one walk in 4.1 IP. Starter
Jackson Hood was strong in 4.2 innings of work (four hits, four runs against, three walks, two strikeouts).
Avery Brock and
Sam Pitre (two hits) both totaled a pair of RBIs, while
Mark Petkovsek and
Austin Arceneaux added two hits.
Chris Hart,
Mason Little and
David Abbadessa scored twice.
Hood started the game strong, making Rhodes (19-12-1) go 1-2-3 in the first inning.
Petkovsek singled in the bottom of the first with two outs, but the Lynx would then record their third strikeout of the inning to end any momentum.
The Majors put two runners on base in the third inning with an Arceneaux hit and Little walk, but Rhodes continued its strong defense. Millsaps also allowed two baserunners to reach in the inning but returned the favor by keeping Rhodes at bay.
The Lynx would threaten again in the fourth, but a nifty 6-4-3 double play got the Majors back into the dugout. However, Rhodes would break through for four unearned runs in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead.
Arceneaux would tally his second hit of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Hart would then single and Little would be hit by a pitch to load the bases. Petkovsek garnered his second hit as well as, which doubled as an RBI and throwing error on the Rhodes third baseman made it a 4-2 game.
Millsaps would then explode for four runs in the seventh to gain a 6-4 advantage. Both Hart and Little would reach on a fielder's choice before Petkovsek would load the bases with a hit by pitch. Petkovsek now leads all of Division III with 19 HBPs.
Brock would provide an RBI single and Pitre tallied two RBIs to bring home Hart, Little and Petkovsek. With Brock on third,
Case Page executed a heads-up suicide squeeze bunt with two strikes to score the fourth run.
The Majors would continue their roll with two insurance runs in the eighth. A bases-loaded wild pitch would plate Abbadessa and a Brock sacrifice fly scored Little to build an 8-4 edge.
Tarantino would strikeout two Lynx batters in the ninth to provide Millsaps the series clinching win.
Millsaps is scheduled to travel to Columbus, Miss. for a midweek contest against MUW on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m., weather permitting and live links will be available 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.
