MT. BERRY, Ga. – The hot steak continues for the Millsaps baseball team as the No. 6 seed Majors bested No. 3 seed Rhodes, 6-4 in the opening game of the SAA Tournament on Thursday. Millsaps has now won eight of its last nine games, advancing to the winner's portion of the Berry Pod at William R. Bowdoin Field.
Senior
Mason Little went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a run, classmates
Mark Petkovsek ended 3-for-5 and
Chris Hart drew four walks and scored a run. Additionally, junior
Sam Pitre returned to the outfield going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and one run scored.
Junior
Wil Wood was solid, striking out four Lynx while allowing two walks, eight hits and three runs in 7.0 IP. Millsaps (22-18) totaled 12 hits, while Rhodes (23-17-1) tallied nine.
The Lynx struck first in the bottom of the second with a run, but the Majors would counter in their half of the third.
Sam Pitre would double to left center to score
Mason Little from second.
Little would then give the Majors a 2-1 cushion with a single in the fourth.
David Abbadessa would score following a lead-off walk, advancement on a wild pitch and Little's hit.
Millsaps would extend their advantage to 3-1 in the very next frame thanks to a
Bradley Pelle fly out. Pitre scored from second following a hit by pitch and another wild pitch prior to Pelle's RBI. The Lynx would tack on two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the contest.
The back-and-forth swing would then go in the Majors' favor with two more runs added in the sixth.
Chris Hart and
Avery Brock both drew walks and Pitre continued his great day at the plate with a 2-RBI double to right field.
The lead would grow to 6-3 in the seventh following an Abbadessa double, Hart walk and Little single down the left field line – all with two outs.
Freshman pitcher
Nick Tarantino entered for the Majors in relief in the eighth inning. Rhodes would cut their deficit to 6-4 following a single, wild pitch and error, but Tarantino ended the frame well with a fly out and ground out.
The Lynx then couldn't muster any more runs in the ninth after being forced into a ground out, fly out and pop up.
Millsaps will next play No. 7 seed Centre on Friday at 11 a.m. CT. Live stats and video are available through 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.
