LONGVIEW, Texas – The Millsaps baseball team opened the 2024 season with a sweep of Letourneau, 8-7 and 17-8 in a doubleheader at Conrad-Vernon Field on Friday. The contest on Saturday was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled for later in the season if possible.

Game 1: 8-7, W (7 Innings)

Graduate Wil Wood took over the on the pitcher's mound with four scoreless innings and four strikeouts, while allowing three hits and three walks.

Senior Case Page batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore EJ Ousley went 2-for-3 at bat with one RBI, a steal, two runs scored and a walk as graduate Robert Vassallo finished with two RBIs. Junior Bradley Pelle finished 2-for-4.

The Majors took the first score in the bottom of the second inning as Vassallo would use a sacrifice fly to right field allowing Page to tag home from third base.

Moments later, senior David Abbadessa would crack a ball to right field to score his teammate Ousley to make the score 2-0.

In the top of the fourth, Millsaps would total three hits and bat through the lineup. A single by Vassallo to center field would score Ousley for the first of six runs in the inning.

The Majors would respond again as graduate Branyan Bounds was hit by pitch to score senior Jackson Ware with bases loaded to give the Majors a 4-0 lead.

Still in the top of the fourth, Letourneau would allow junior Gray Berry to advance on third base following a fielder's choice and throwing error and also score Vassallo.

The YellowJackets trying to end the top of the fourth inning, who give up another hit as Page doubled to right field to score Berry and Bounds.

Ousley then singled to the plate junior Evan Scott, building an 8-0 advantage.

The pitching for teams was strong until Letourneau scored six runs in bottom of the sixth and a run in the seventh. Millsaps would finish off LeTourneau with two final outs in the seven-inning contest to take Game One, 8-7.


Game 2: 17-8, W

In Game Two, the Majors' heated up even more to take the Friday sweep, 17-8. Bounds batted 3-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Pelle tallied a 4-for-4 out with six runs scored, a stolen base, three RBIs and a walk.

Scott stood out as well going 3-for-6 with four RBIs. Sophomore Mason Morgan would finish in the batter's box 2-for-4 while tallying a walk and two runs scored.

Redshirt sophomore Wil Norris played a huge factor as well by pitching four innings IP while holding LeTourneau to three hits and three runs alongside three strikeouts. Classmate Gavin Tranchina finished with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth.

In the top of the first, Pelle would hammer a two-run homer to center field to get the offense started. LeTourneau would answer with a two-run homer of their own in the bottom of the second to tie the game.

In the top of the third, Scott would double and Pelle after three consecutive two-out hits.

LeTourneau would strike the Majors with a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth to draw the game at 3-3 and later take a 5-3 lead with a two-run shot.

Millsaps then tied the game in the top of the fifth at 5-5 following a Scott double and Ousley fielder's choice. Late that inning, LeTourneau would score another with run with a triple followed by a single.

In the top of the sixth, Millsaps surged ahead with five hits and five runs for a 10-6 advantage following a hit by Bounds to score Ware, an Pelle single to score Morgan and a Berry hit by pitch to advance home Abbadessa from third.

Page would keep the onslaught going with an RBI single and was soon followed with an passed ball scoring Pelle from third.

In the bottom of the seventh, Letourneau tallied another solo home run to make it a 10-7 deficit. A costly wild pitch by the YellowJackets would give the run back in the eighth as Pelle raced to the plate 90 feet away.

Letourneau homered for the final time in the eighth, but Millsaps would put up six runs and put the game away in the ninth to take Game Two, 17-8.

Millsaps will next welcome Huntington on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. first pitch. Live stats and video will be available at gomajors.com.


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